USAF Again Stops Accepting KC-46 Tankers

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Air Force again stopped accepting next-generation KC-46A tankers from Boeing after more debris was found hidden in closed compartments, the service said Tuesday.

Foreign object debris turned up last month, causing the Air Force to once again pause acceptance March 23—just two weeks after the service resumed acceptance. Still more debris was discovered this week after the pause.

Boeing statement:
"We are currently conducting additional company and customer inspections of the jets ... We have also incorporated additional training, more rigorous clean-as-you-go practices and FOD awareness days.
Although we’ve made improvements to date, we can do better. " https://t.co/1UIpf0r9IN

— Dominic Gates (@dominicgates) April 2, 2019

“This week our inspectors identified additional foreign object debris and areas where Boeing did not meet quality standards,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Air Force Magazine. “The issues are unrelated to design or engineering specifications. Air Force leadership is meeting with Boeing to approve additional corrective action plans before aircraft acceptance can resume.”

She did not answer how many aircraft had debris or how many KC-46 deliveries are affected by the pause. The service has seven new tankers in its inventory. (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the Air Force Magazine website.

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