C-17 involved in rough landing and mortar attack

Blowing out 12 tires landing a C-17 in remote insurgent territory isn’t exactly considered a milk run.

Or being subjected to mortar fire on the ground.

But that’s what happened to a C-17 cargo plane earlier this year after a rough landing in a remote part of Afghanistan, the Air Force said.

And while Charleston military personnel reportedly were involved in the incident, a Joint Base Charleston spokesperson could not confirm today if the C-17 involved is one of the estimated 53 planes assigned here.

According to Air Force media reports, the C-17 Globemaster III made a hard landing on a short runway in September as the crew was trying to re-supply Forward Operation Base Shank in the eastern Afghanistan province of Logar.

Once the crew got out they saw the damage was severe: 12 flat tires, eight brakes that needed replacing and eight break temperature sensors out, the Air Force said.

A repair crew was shuttled in, and two days of repairs were started.

On the second day, a mortar landed approximately 150 yards away, part of the fire the base is known to get regularly.

A C-130 Hercules parked nearby was damaged.

The C-17 made it out.

Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551.