A KC-46 Pegasus lands at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Nov. 7, 2022. (Yasuo Osakabe/U.S. Air Force)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — A U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft landed safely at this airlift hub in western Tokyo after declaring an in-flight emergency Tuesday, an Air Force spokesman said.
Emergency vehicles with flashing lights surrounded the aircraft on Yokota’s main runway shortly after midday.
The crew reported an emergency while approaching the base, Master Sgt. Nathan Allen, spokesman for Yokota’s 374th Airlift Wing, said by email Tuesday afternoon.
“The crew and base took action immediately and the aircraft landed safely,” he wrote. Allen did not disclose the nature of the emergency or the aircraft’s unit.
The KC-46A, built by Boeing and introduced into service in 2019, is the Air Force’s newest aerial refueling platform, designed to replace older tankers such as the KC-135 Stratotanker.
A similar incident occurred at Yokota in January, when a KC-135 from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, diverted to the base due to a maintenance issue.
