See military plane over Key Peninsula on Sunday night? Here’s what it was
.JPG "A C-17 like this one was spotted over Key Peninsula on April 20, 2025, a spokesperson for the 62nd Airlift Wing of the U.S. Air Force said.")
A military plane that residents spotted flying over the Key Peninsula’s Palmer Lake area the night of April 20 was returning from an overseas mission, according to U.S. Air Force 62nd Airlift Wing spokesperson Joe Kubistek.
The Boeing C-17A Globemaster III was “on a return mission from the Pacific” and was the only aircraft flying over the area at the time, he told The News Tribune in a phone call on April 22. A C-17 is a cargo aircraft that “can execute the strategic delivery of troops and cargo to forward areas, perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions, and transport litters and ambulatory patients,” according to an article from the U.S. Army.
The C-17 arrived at McChord Field at about 9:18 p.m. on April 20 after flying in from Hawaii, according to Kubistek. He said it was an “operational mission” but didn’t have further information about the nature of the mission.
“The aircraft was in control of the (Federal Aviation Administration) facility at Sea-Tac and in full compliance with all the rules and regulations the aircraft control required them to fly by,” Kubistek said.
He said the FAA’s Seattle center would be able to answer questions about the aircraft’s route. The FAA directs aircraft to take specific flying routes based on factors such as weather or other aircraft traffic, according to Kubistek.
This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
