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F-16 pilot saved from landing in ISIS land by quick-thinking sky crew
One for the good guys!
A US air force pilot was saved from ejecting into dangerous ISIS-held territory thanks to the quick-thinking crew of a nearby refueling plane, saving him from potential capture or death, the US Air Force has revealed.
The unnamed pilot, whose F-16 fighter jet was passing over ISIS-held territory, had attempted to refuel with a KC-135 Stratotanker plane when he discovered that his craft had suffered a malfunction that rendered more than 80 percent of its fuel capability useless.
Captain Nathanial Beer, 384th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, explained: 'The lead F-16 came up first and then had a pressure disconnect after about 500 pounds of fuel. We were expecting to offload about 2,500 pounds.' That left the plane with around 15 minutes of flight time. And that meant the pilot might need to eject into ISIS-controlled territory, risking capture — or death.
One for the good guys!
A US air force pilot was saved from ejecting into dangerous ISIS-held territory thanks to the quick-thinking crew of a nearby refueling plane, saving him from potential capture or death, the US Air Force has revealed.
The unnamed pilot, whose F-16 fighter jet was passing over ISIS-held territory, had attempted to refuel with a KC-135 Stratotanker plane when he discovered that his craft had suffered a malfunction that rendered more than 80 percent of its fuel capability useless.
Captain Nathanial Beer, 384th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, explained: 'The lead F-16 came up first and then had a pressure disconnect after about 500 pounds of fuel. We were expecting to offload about 2,500 pounds.' That left the plane with around 15 minutes of flight time. And that meant the pilot might need to eject into ISIS-controlled territory, risking capture — or death.
