Stead Air Attack Base

05/28/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1cfvvzCcdb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/25/2026

Americas Tanker Base was reasonably busy yesterday afternoon and evening wth 4 LATS and 2 SEATS working the Quartz fire. First fire of the season.

05/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1603238817660423/?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&fs=e&fs=e

04/30/2026

Voted best Tanker Base in the nation by Tanker Base Magazine. Thoughtful employee’s wife made everyone these amazing May baskets. Thanks Amanda, you rock.

04/23/2026

Lots of activity for April, going to be a long grind this season. Stay safe everyone

04/14/2026

04/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1659842458545360/?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&fs=e&fs=e

12/31/2025

Incredible

12/30/2025

12/23/2025

On May 24, 1988, TACA Flight 110, a Boeing 737-300, became the center of one of aviation’s most remarkable survival stories. En route from Belize to New Orleans, the aircraft flew into intense thunderstorms over the Gulf Coast, where extreme rain and hail caused both CFM56 engines to flame out due to water ingestion. Suddenly powerless and flying at low altitude in poor visibility, the crew faced a scenario that leaves little room for error, especially over a densely built area.

Under immense pressure, the flight crew, led by Captain Carlos Dardano, made a decisive and unconventional choice. They guided the gliding jet toward a narrow grass levee at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, skillfully avoiding obstacles and population centers. The aircraft touched down safely on the levee, and all 45 people on board survived, with the airplane remaining largely intact, a result that many still consider nearly unbelievable for a jet transport in total power loss.

Adding to the significance of the event is a lesser-known but true fact: Captain Dardano was blind in one eye. Fully certified and medically cleared to fly, his performance that day became a powerful testament to professionalism, experience, and calm judgment under extreme conditions.