"Ron Parsons" wrote in message
...
In article ,
362436 (Ron) wrote:

The KC-10 can burn all its fuel or offload all but a couple thousand
pounds.
We can easily burn the JP-7 fuel that the SR-71 used, it just doesn't
lubricate the fuel pumps as well. I assume the KC-135 is the same. Not
sure
about the KC-130 with Benson tanks in the fuselage.
Curt
U. S. Air Force, almost retired

There was a mid air explosion of a KC-135 about 15 years ago. They had
offloaded all the fuel they could, and the pumps no longer had that
fuel for
cooling. Something got really hot, and the remaining vapors ignited...

That doesn't compute here. The only electric fuel pumps are in the mains
and the aircraft would be down to zero fuel before one was dry. The a/r
pumps are hydraulic are routinely run until the low pressure light comes
on.


Found this online so far in my search...

"On Oct. 4, 1990, an Air Force KC-135A tanker exploded during approach to
Loring Air Force Base in Maine, in an incident that involved a rear
refueling
tank rather than the central fuel tank. Witnesses said they saw two
explosions
on the plane and then saw the tail section separate. Investigators blamed
the
accident, which killed all four crew, on an overheated fuel pump. "

The terms used don't match the names of any of the tanks. The only thing
close to being a rear refueling tank would be the Aft Body tank. While
the Upper Deck tank is the aftmost, it has no pumps.

Your cite has the tone of ground witnesses filtered through the press.

--
Ron


KC135--In the body, there is a foward body, a center wing, and an aft
body, plus upper deck (no pumps) In the wings, 4 mains and 2 reserve tanks.
The forward and aft body tanks have two "Air Refueling" pumps each
(hydraulic driven). The center tank has two "override pumps" (electric).
The mains have two "boost pumps" each (electric). You can only offload from
the forward and aft tanks, but all the other fuel can drain either forward
or aft depending on the tank, except for a little standpipe fuel in each
main. The accident in question was likely an aft body tank explosion due to
overheated AR pump, but hard one to prove. Result: tank level restrictions
for years until they came up with an auto shutoff system that sensed a low
pressure and automatically turned off pumps when it was low. Almost all
pumps have now been replaced with modern pumps that do not overheat due
improved cooling.

MG