WHALE 05 was scheduled for take off from Jeddah at 17:24 local time and climbed to 25,000 feet (7,600 m) to perform an
aerial refueling. Another Boeing KC-135 took off at around the same time and was supposed to fly the same route. The
co-pilot of the second aircraft ascended to the planned altitude of 25,000 feet (7,600 m). After reaching the target altitude, autopilot was engaged with the aircraft about one nautical mile behind the other KC-135. Approximately 45 minutes after takeoff, WHALE 05 encountered forward
wake turbulence and suddenly banked more than 110 degrees to the left, and within a few seconds it banked more than 110 degrees to the right. The captain activated the
speed brakes and restored the aircraft to a near level attitude. During the sequence of events, both left wing engines detached from the aircraft. After recovery, fire alarms on the two left side engines activated. The captain ordered the
boom operator to look at the engines, who reported that there was no fire but that the engines were physically gone. As the aircraft had only been airborne for a short time, it still held almost 31,000 gallons of fuel. In addition, the hydraulic reception, fuel pumps, and
landing gear were damaged when the engines detached, and fuel was spilling from the left wing. == Dramatization ==