An RAF Nimrod flying over southern Afghanistan put out a Mayday call and made an emergency landing at Kandahar air base on Monday after crew found fuel pouring into the bomb bay.
The aircraft was in the middle of refuelling when the crew discovered what several sources described as "a major fuel leak" in the bomb bay. The pilot immediately declared an emergency and broke off refuelling.
It is a repeat of an incident in September last year, when an RAF Nimrod exploded over Kandahar province killing all 14 on board. The board of inquiry into that incident has yet to report but that Nimrod, tail number XV230, had just refuelled in mid-air and the board's initial findings blamed pressure from the air-to-air refuelling system for forcing a serious leak.
The Ministry of Defence said today that nobody on board had been hurt in the latest incident. Air-to-air refuelling had been suspended "as a precautionary measure" but the fleet had not been grounded.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle2826702.ece
Thank god they got back safe.