Tanker Refueled The F-16 Every 15 Minutes Until It Could Land Safely

A fuel emergency nearly caused an F-16 pilot to eject from his aircraft over territory in held by ISIS last week, but the tanker crew assisted the plane, allowing it to land safely.

The pilot of the F-16 attempted to refuel, but was unable to top off its tanks due to a mechanical problem. But rather than let the plane and the pilot fall into enemy hands, the crew of the KC-135 diverted from its area of responsibility to escort the plane to a safe landing.

CNN reports that because the F-16 could only take on 15 minutes of fuel at a time, the KC-135 crew escorted the F-16 to the base, tankering the aircraft every 15 minutes to keep it airborne.

The Air Force did not specify precisely where the incident took place, or to what country the F-16 belonged.

"Knowing the risks to their own safety, they put the life of the F-16 pilot first and made what could've been an international tragedy a feel-good news story," said Lt. Col. Eric Hallberg, 384th Air Refueling Squadron commander. "I'm sure they think it was not a big deal, however, that's because they never want the glory or fame."

(Image from file)

FMI: www.af.mil