Overview

• The incident occurred on April 8, 2025, as the KC-135 was flying training circuits and descending toward RAF Mildenhall between Chatteris and Ely in Cambridgeshire.
• The aircraft passed with about 49 feet of vertical separation and roughly 100 feet horizontally after the tanker banked up to 30 degrees to avoid the glider.
• The board said providence was a major factor in avoiding a collision and concluded that both pilots shared responsibility for safety in the encounter.
• Investigators found the glider pilot had not contacted ATC and had switched the transponder off to conserve battery, leaving no electronic warning to others.
• The KC-135 crew had only generic traffic information, did not report reduced visibility after emerging from cloud, and did not ask controllers for additional assistance.