No fatalities

Aircraft Destroyed After Overrunning Runway at Loring AFB Following Water Injection Failure (56-3602)

Loring AFB, United States of AmericaTakeoff (climb)

On March 25, 1969, a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (registration 56-3602) operated by United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Loring AFB, United States of America during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Failure of the water injection system due to frozen water. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

During takeoff roll at Loring AFB, the crew experienced water injection system issues and aborted. The aircraft overran the runway, went down an embankment, broke in two, and caught fire. All seven occupants were rescued.

Incident Details

During the takeoff roll at Loring Air Force Base, the flight crew encountered technical problems with the aircraft's water injection system. The captain decided to abort the takeoff. However, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining runway distance. It overran the runway end, descended an embankment, and came to rest in flames. The aircraft was broken into two sections and was ultimately destroyed.

Rescue

All seven occupants aboard the aircraft were rescued from the wreckage. No further details about their conditions were provided in the official findings.

Probable Cause

According to the official investigation, the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the water injection system due to frozen water.