Boeing KC-46 tanker plane cuts test flight short
Published 4:50 pm Wednesday, March 9, 2016
SEATTLE — One of Boeing’s KC-46A tanker test planes cut short a flight Wednesday afternoon.
It was not an emergency. And it is not uncommon for new airplanes to return early due to a minor issue that can be quickly fixed.
The stakes are high for Boeing, though, on its aerial refueling tanker program, which is being developed for the U.S. Air Force. Problems in development and with suppliers caused delays and required expensive rework. Industry experts say the company will be hard-pressed to meet its delivery deadline in 2017.
Boeing declined to comment on Wednesday’s flight.
The plane had an issue with its hydraulic pressurization, according to Matt Cawby at the Paine Field Blog.
Boeing is trying to make up for months of delays caused by earlier problems during development. To win the program, Boeing committed to an aggressive development schedule and a fixed-price contract that caps taxpayer costs at $4.9 billion.
The contract requires Boeing to deliver the first 18 combat-ready KC-46 tankers by August 2017.
To make up time, the aerospace giant already has shortened the program’s test schedule and started low-rate production ahead of an official green light from the Pentagon. The company has also paid more than $1.2 billion in development cost overruns. Missing the delivery deadline will cost even more.
The second tanker test plane, VH002, took off from Boeing Field International in Seattle at 2:18 p.m. using the call sign Boeing 462 Heavy. The flight plan had it going to Moses Lake in Grant County. However, a couple minutes after taking off, the pilot contacted Seattle Approach air traffic control.
“Uh, 462 Heavy is level 2,000 (feet). We’re going to need vector back to Boeing Field for landing,” he said.
The controller at Seattle Approach told the flight to fly at 4,000 feet and loop back around to the airport. He then asked if the flight needed emergency personnel ready on the ground.
No, the test pilot responded. “We just need to return back to base. No emergency.”
The KC-46 landed back at Boeing Field about 20 minutes after taking off.
The first tanker, known as VH001, has been busy ticking off flight and systems tests. It has successfully passed fuel in flight to several American military airplanes.
Dan Catchpole: 425-339-3454; dcatchpole@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dcatchpole.
