An U.S. Air Force transport aircraft, flight number MC3248, diverted to RAF Mildenhall this evening.
RAF Mildenhall, UK — September 3, 2025 — A U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III (registration 04-4128), originally en route from Glasgow Prestwick Airport, UK, to McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, declared an emergency at 19:26 BST after shutting down one of its engines due to an oil leak.
The crew detected a critical oil leak in flight, prompting an immediate precautionary shutdown of the affected engine. The aircraft safely landed at RAF Mildenhall, where emergency teams were standing by to assist the crew.
Following the emergency landing, U.S. Air Mobility Command will coordinate repairs and ensure the aircraft’s airworthiness before resuming its flight to McGuire AFB. The incident underscores the C-17’s robust design and the crew’s training—enabling safe resolution even amid in-flight technical failures.
According to the USAF Almanac, as of September 2023, the United States Air Force operates 222 C-17A aircraft in its fleet.
