JANN Weekly(ish) - This Newsletter Contains Three Aircraft
And A Writer Who Hopes This Is Not Languishing In Your Spam Folder
Three aircraft had my attention this week. One that made headlines, one with Intelligence connections, and one I can't fully explain.
Updates to Crystal Peak
KC-46 Incident Off Virginia
Last week off the Virginia coast, a KC-46A Pegasus suffered significant damage to its refueling boom during training operations. The tanker, based at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, was forced to divert to Seymour-Johnson AFB in North Carolina.
The damage was substantial—the boom's outer surfaces were visibly mangled, rendering the aircraft unable to complete its refueling mission. Both The War Zone and Air & Space Forces Magazine covered the incident extensively and feature friend of JANN, enc_spotter, who captured the first images of the damaged tanker. enc has kindly allowed us to host the exclusive photograph on Crystal Peak.
N3867X - The Wandering Hercules
N3867X might look like random letters and numbers, but many of you recognize this as a US aircraft registration. A select few know this specific tail belongs to a Lockheed L-100—the civilian version of the C-130 Hercules—with a fascinating history.
Currently owned by T3D&H LLC, this aircraft relocated from Alabama to Pinal Airpark north of Tucson in early June. A month later, when it was still parked there, I grew curious about its extended stay.
Pinal isn't just an airport—it's also an aircraft graveyard with documented Special Operations and Intelligence activities. Given N3867X's own alleged Intelligence connections, this opened numerous possibilities.
Leveraging our OSINT community, I asked if anyone nearby could investigate. The response was better than expected. The post gained significant traction, and I received valuable updates about N3867X's future. The aircraft may be destined for Lynden Air Cargo—potentially its sixth owner/operator across multiple registrations. Most importantly, I received excellent photographs, now available on N3867X's Crystal Peak page. Special thanks to Steven Fortson for capturing these images and allowing me to share them with our community.
The Enigma - C-40? - 19-2404 - AE108D
Aircraft intrigue us for different reasons. Some for their operations, others for their symbolism. The C-40 associated with 19-2404 falls into a category I'm still trying to understand.
I can't detail what makes 19-2404 significant to certain communities, partly because I don't fully grasp it yet myself. This tail number (re)caught my attention when it transmitted location data at Chennault International Airport (KCWF) on March 14th. This was the first significant activity under this registration in months.
This research will likely evolve into a collaborative project with others fascinated by this aircraft. Recent activity suggests 19-2404 is more than your average "Aircraft of Interest." I plan to cover this C-40 and its operations in a future in-depth analysis.
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