A sloppy private defense contracting company is over a barrel and the United States Air Force is out $62.4 million after a retaining nut connecting oxygen tubing was not tightened properly on an Air Force reconnaissance plane, causing a fire and endangering the lives of the 27 airmen aboard the 136-foot-long aircraft on April 30.

“Failure by L-3 Communications depot maintenance personnel to tighten a retaining nut connecting a metal oxygen tube to a junction fitting above the galley properly caused an oxygen leak. This leak created a highly flammable oxygen-rich environment that ignited,” said a U.S. Air Force report written on the costly incident.

The report also revealed that the plane hit 51 mph when the savvy pilot “aborted takeoff” (that’s well below its takeoff speed). According to a former pilot, if the plane had become airborne all 27 aboard would have died.

The recon flier was on a training mission from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and upon the abort, skidded to a stop on the runway before all onboard made it off safely.

L-3 Communications — the entity that deserves all the blame in this near disaster — declined to comment. Bruce Rogowski, their spokesperson, boldly directed all questions to the Air Force.

WTKR