B707 flygende bensinstasjon med problemer

Engine exploded aboard jet refueling tankerAn aerial refueling tanker landed safely last month in Victorville after an explosion in one of its four jet engines, federal crash investigators say.

The emergency affected the civilian Boeing 707's left outboard engine soon after takeoff April 10 from Point Mugu Naval Air Station in Ventura County on a planned flight to Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville.

"After departure from Pt. Mugu..., a heavy vibration was felt in engine No. 1 as the airplane was climbing through 17,000 feet," according to the preliminary report of the National Transportation Safety Board. "The engine was shut down at (21,000 feet). The pilots reported that parts could be seen exiting the turbine section of the engine."

The landing in Victorville was uneventful. But an examination of the engine uncovered damaged turbine blades, holes in the turbine exhaust case, a hole in the engine cowl, and a small puncture in a trim tab on the left outboard aileron.

None of the five persons aboad the plane were hurt.

The specially modified plane was built in 1968 as a civilian jetliner and is owned by Omega Air Inc., which contracts with the military to provide in-flight refueling for military aircraft.