Team MacDill maintainers keep tankers fit to fuel

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rito Smith
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

MacDill maintainers performed a two-week inspection on a KC-135 Stratotanker by removing all of the engines and pulling the landing struts off at MacDill Air Force Base Fla., April 10-21, 2017.

The maintainers performed the inspection to ensure the aircraft was safe to fly after a hard landing on the runway.

“A hard landing is assessed by the aircraft’s gross weight and the gravitational load that was transferred to the aircraft as a result of the landing which can cause damage,” said Technical Sgt. Kaye Donley, repair and reclamation lead technician, assigned to the 6th Maintenance Squadron. “When we have situations like this, we need to work 24/7 to ensure the aircraft is fixed.”

Integrity and professionalism played a key role in ensuring the aircraft not only got fixed but was fixed correctly the first time.

Maintainers worked for two to three weeks and put in about 1,200-2,000 man-hours to ensure all MacDill aircraft are fit for the fight.

The Airmen started the task by pulling the landing struts off the aircraft so they could reach inside the aircraft to check for broken pieces and then performed the same task for each engine.

“Our portion of the inspection constitutes removal of both main landing gear assemblies for inspection,” said Donley. “It includes the landing gear structural support sections of the fuselage and an inspection of the flight control systems to ensure proper rigging.”

During the inspection, it was important that the maintainers were diligent and detail-oriented in order to find any damages specifically broken or cracked parts.  

“We wanted to ensure that the aircraft was not damaged as a result of the hard landing,” said Donley. “The main point was so we could correct any discrepancies that may have occurred from the landing.”

After many man hours, the tanker is back up and ready to fuel the fight.

“This isn’t a job commonly performed, so having the opportunity to be a part of it was a great learning experience for me,” said Airman 1st Class John Cuttito, an aerospace repair technician, assigned to the 6th Maintenance Squadron. “I learned that even a seasoned craftsman will always utilize the technical orders step by step to ensure the job is done right.”