USAF grounds KC-135 Stratotanker fleet over concerns their tails may 

USAF grounds KC-135 Stratotanker fleet over concerns their tails may fall off mid-flight

[{"selector":"#anim-5a32746f-6a0f-4fd8-8e8d-c1e4fd74895c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-51.19850818498561%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3d0bce1a-d81e-49ad-b8c2-6aed10e7b9b1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-15c2b128-e936-4edd-aece-d23f644d55af","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(118.48184%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Because of worries that their tails might not be mended properly, the U.S. Air Force has ordered the whole fleet of KC-135 tankers to be grounded for inspection.

As a result of a "non-conforming element in the vertical tail assembly," the USAF ordered the inspections on Tuesday.

[{"selector":"#anim-b825ab68-8352-4e88-9101-cc50c0c3b0d7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.353124886851486%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe5e0242-7c60-4661-a32b-9974d0ae91e7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-77091ce5-37be-42e3-ade2-bd833d8c279a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(118.12297%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-7e2ddf26-4403-4813-8549-0a87ba891abe [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-33.081054584836494%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cea9d437-7408-4e36-8317-8b2a45d49e53","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e23eea37-d4f8-4413-97e2-92cde5a05e7a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(118.85521%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Once the typically 30-minute examination is finished, no flights are permitted.

[{"selector":"#anim-36ec54d0-828f-4937-b37a-e497617aa19b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.423437387278142%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6d4c29d2-58d1-4125-b7c0-550c11086b22","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04c4a626-0b81-4307-878d-15497cd5acd6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.53399%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Tuesday's order comes after a Friday directive ordering an inspection of all KC-135 tankers for tail pins,

[{"selector":"#anim-30a8a7e6-8434-4318-9839-4fbfaea23b84 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.179687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aff401f8-2666-46a4-91fe-99b0a324a5fc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-030c5d61-5952-4e0c-a8bb-5b808ecf0092","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(118.48184%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] or vertical terminal fitting pins, that are out of specification. While the more recent regulation mandates inspections before the subsequent flight,

[{"selector":"#anim-c8e8efba-9ed9-4212-b519-ad2d04a59d69 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-29.755783938855547%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a555fb6c-8236-4d33-b72b-2b65da8fc5dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d19a06dc-7286-4e01-9396-615c6e0c1536","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.82848%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Friday's requirement is to be completed over the following two weeks. According to Col. Michael Kovalchuk,

[{"selector":"#anim-5f232aa8-9e57-47d1-81be-4a54b52c89ac [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-28.90624987200394%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-11a01616-c4aa-44ca-9ed5-a640927304ee","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5b2ce65c-c6b0-48cc-8607-c9ccdfb3086c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.85760%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Senior Materiel Leader at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Legacy Tanker Division,

[{"selector":"#anim-a93f0505-bc3b-4be4-90aa-d4e70a96b1cf [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.5948491527533%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5fbc5c6a-7503-43e6-b4b1-1265799d5318","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-686ca664-c649-46ba-a38f-0f1e6b28caea","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.79935%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] We're taking this measure out of an abundance of caution, after conferring with our engineering experts.

Want more stories like this click bellow button

[{"selector":"#anim-185785a3-b461-4470-9399-3cfb0bb48c30 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-33.71562490118705%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more