CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
A C-130J-30 Super Hercules from the 130th Airlift Wing based at McLaughlin Air National Guard Base in Charleston, West Virginia, experienced an in-flight fuel leak during a routine training flight this afternoon and returned safely to Yeager International Airport in Charleston without incident, March 13, 2024.
“The safety of the aircrew and aircraft we fly is always of paramount importance and at the forefront of everything we do,” stated Col. Bryan W. Preece, commander of the 130th AW. “Our aviators and crews are among the best trained and professional Airmen in the world, as are our maintenance personnel who work to maintain our world-class aircraft.”
During the afternoon training flight, an in-flight-emergency was declared for an alerted fuel leak. The aircraft landed safely without incident. The nature and cause of the fuel leak is currently under investigation. No impact to current or scheduled flight operations is expected.
The 130th has been in the process of transitioning airframes from the C-130 H3 Hercules model to the advanced C-130J-30 Super Hercules model since 2021. The unit currently operates eight C-130J-30 aircraft, each valued at approximately $90 million. The unit recently met the requirements to be declared a C-130J-30 unit with Initial Operational Capability as of January 1, 2024.
Typical mission sets for the C-130J-30 include tactical airlift (intra-theater), humanitarian relief, aeromedical evacuation, non-combatant evacuation operations, "airdrop", "air land," formation flying (multiple aircraft), special operations, and search and rescue. Produced by Lockheed Martin, more than 450 Super Hercules are operational worldwide in 20 allied and partner nations as well as the United States, and the airframe serves as the Air Force's premier intra-theater airlifter.