PRESTWICK, SCOTLAND — A United States Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III made an unscheduled landing at Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) on Tuesday morning after declaring an in-flight emergency while entering British airspace.
The strategic Airlifter, registration 06-6160 and operating under the callsign RCH525, was en route from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to Europe. After a standard transatlantic crossing at 33,000 feet, the crew transmitted an emergency signal as they approached the United Kingdom’s western coast.
Incident Summary
- Departure: Monday, March 30, 2026, from Dover AFB (DOV).
- Emergency Declaration: Tuesday morning, March 31, upon entering UK airspace.
- Diversion: The aircraft turned toward Scotland and touched down at Prestwick Airport at approximately 10:00 AM local time.
- Ground Time: The aircraft remained on the taxiway for three hours while crews assessed the nature of the emergency.
Mission Resumed
The disruption proved to be temporary. After a brief inspection and servicing by ground crews at Prestwick—a frequent stopover point for U.S. military transport flights—the Globemaster was cleared to continue its mission.
The flight departed Prestwick at 1:00 PM local time and continued its journey eastward. It later landed safely at a military installation near Bitburg, Germany, where it was scheduled to deliver cargo.
