More issues with Air Force’s new KC 46 tankers

Remember those new Boeing KC-46 tankers and carriers sent to Altus Air Force base some months ago and how there were issues with the planes?

Now there are still more problems, resulting in the U.S. Air Force implementing an indefinite barring of the planes carrying cargo and passengers.

Defense News reported this week the decision was made after an incident occurred where the cargo locks on the bottom of the floor of the aircraft became unlocked during a recent flight, creating concerns that airmen could potentially be hurt or even killed by heavy equipment that suddenly bursts free during a flight.

“As a result of this discovery, the Air Force has submitted a Category 1 deficiency report and is working with Boeing to identify a solution,” Air Force Mobility Command spokesman Col. Damien Pickart said in a statement. The service uses the term Category 1 to describe serious technical issues that could endanger the aircrew and aircraft or have other major effects.

“Until we find a viable solution with Boeing to remedy this problem, we can’t jeopardize the safety of our aircrew and this aircraft,” he said.

The problem was discovered during a recent overseas operational test and evaluation flight, when KC-46 aircrew noticed that numerous cargo restraint devices had come unlocked over the course of the multiple legs of the trip.

The KC-46 are used at Altus Air Force base for training of flight crews. The same planes were also delivered to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas.