Airmen Return A-10 to Air After Engine Failure in Iraq

摘要

A repair team from the 122nd Fighter Wing repaired in five days an A-10C Thunderbolt Ⅱ fighter that suffered an engine failure and had to divert to an austere base in Ramadi, Iraq. The jet's No. 1 engine sustained catastrophic damage during a refueling mission, forcing the pilot to land the aircraft at Al Asad Air Base, which is in an area of heavy fighting this year between Iraqi forces and Islamic State fighters. Within hours, the nine-member team went to Al Asad from a nearby unnamed base to identify damage and compile a list of parts needed to expedite repairs. Initially, team members thought they would have to order parts from the U.S., grounding the aircraft for almost a month, but that was not acceptable to leaders of U.S. Air Forces Central Command and the 332nd Air Expeditionary Group.