USAF tanker saved an F-16 and its pilot - CNN

Tankers just changed callsign from Exxon to Nightinggale.... (Ed.)

KC-135 Stratotanker - Photo: USAF

Quick-thinking tanker crew saves F-16

 pilot over ISIS-controlled territory

By Zachary Cohen, CNN

Updated 0242 GMT (1042 HKT) February 13, 2016

(CNN)An F-16 pilot was nearly forced to eject from his
aircraft over ISIS territory due to a fuel emergency last year,
an incident that could have led to the airman's capture or
death, the U.S. Air Force said.

But the pilot was saved from having to abandon his aircraft
due to the quick thinking of a nearby U.S. Air Force re-fueling
plane crew.

The KC-135 Stratotanker was linked up with a group of A-10
Thunderbolt IIs in support of the U.S.-led coalition's air
campaign against ISIS when it was approached by the F-16,
the Air Force said on Thursday.

The first sign of trouble occurred when the F-16 attempted
to re-fuel but was forced to disconnect from the KC-135 after
taking in only 500 pounds of fuel -- an amount that fell
significantly short of the 2,500 pounds that the tanker
expected to off-load.

After a second failed re-fueling attempt, the F-16 pilot ran
through his checklist and alerted the tanker crew that he was
experiencing a fuel system emergency.

"Over 80% of his total fuel capability was trapped and unusable,"
a malfunction that could have forced the pilot to eject as his
aircraft could only use up to 15 minutes of fuel at a time, the
Air Force said in a press release.

Instead of leaving the pilot to fend for himself, the tanker crew
decided to diverge from its area of responsibility, and safely
escorted the F-16 to its base while refueling every 15 minutes
on the way to allied airspace.

"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."

The Air Force did not specify where, exactly, the incident took
place and did not specify the country to which the F-16 belonged.

The brutal killing of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kassasbeh serves
as a harsh reminder of the consequences for pilots who eject
over ISIS-held territory and are taken prisoner by the terror
group.

Footage and images released early last year by the Islamist
extremists appeared to show the pilot in a cage, being burned
alive.

The video sparked global condemnation and prompted
immediate promises of retaliation and protests in Jordan, one
of more than 60 nations involved in the U.S.-led coalition
against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

As of February 10, the U.S. and its coalition partners have
conducted a total of 10,242 strikes against ISIS in Iraq and
Syria.

And despite escorting the F-16 pilot back to base, the KC-135
tanker crew completed the rest of their daily missions with 100%
success, the Air Force said.