<table> </table> OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. | Poor maintenance may be compromising the flight safety of reconnaissance aircraft carrying some of America&#8217;s most advanced electronic equipment, according to current and former aircraft mechanics.</p><p>The RC-135 aircraft are maintained at Offutt Air Force Base and fly global intelligence-gathering missions. While they are among the oldest in the Air Force&#8217;s aging fleet, the planes carry the latest equipment for detecting troop movements, enemy radio transmissions and nuclear emissions.</p><p>Top Air Force officials said that the 29 planes &#8212; called such names as &#8220;Rivet Joint&#8221; and &#8220;Open Skies&#8221; for the types of missions they fly &#8212; are properly maintained.</p><p>But George Sarris, a senior civilian aircraft mechanic at Offutt with more than 30 years experience, told <em>The Kansas City Star </em>that he has been waging a years-long battle to bring maintenance concerns to light about the RC-135 fleet and became so frustrated that he decided to go public.</p><p>&#8220;I have found inspections that are 17 years past due, hydraulic and fuel hoses that should have been changed 15 years ago, and recently several emergency system hoses that were 30-plus years past time change,&#8221; Sarris said, adding that he believes at least one landing gear assembly also was improperly installed.</p><p>Those concerns are backed by eight other current and former Offutt mechanics, and have sparked several congressional investigations into safety issues, plus an ongoing inquiry into whether Sarris was disciplined for speaking out.</p><p>Sarris and other aircraft experts told <em>The Star </em>that the maintenance issues are serious and could eventually lead to mechanical failures on the RC-135s, delaying critical missions or endangering crew members&#8217; lives.</p><p>Air Force officials acknowledged that the age of the planes presents unique maintenance challenges, and that at least one recent in-flight incident caused a significant problem. But they said most of Sarris&#8217; concerns have been addressed, are unfounded or were determined to be unsubstantiated.</p><p>Offutt officials insisted that the planes are meticulously maintained by highly trained civilian and military mechanics &#8212; an assertion they say is backed by tens of thousands of safe flying hours.</p><p>The RC-135s have an &#8220;outstanding flying safety record,&#8221; said Air Force Brig. Gen. James J. Jones, commander of the 55th Wing at Offutt. He said he has total confidence in maintenance workers at Offutt.</p><p>However, Jones said he could not comment on some of Sarris&#8217; concerns because those matters are &#8220;for official use only.&#8221; As for landing gear assemblies, Jones said the questions &#8220;go into highly technical assertions and speculation.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Without going into each specific question, I will tell you that in the cases you cite, we immediately corrected the problems after our maintenance experts identified them.&#8221;</p><p>Sarris said, however, that the problems were only corrected after he complained to local congressmen or top Air Force brass and that, in the end, he was punished for speaking out.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Flying record</span></strong></p><p>While RC-135s do have a relatively safe flying record (only one has crashed in the last 27 years), documents obtained by <em>The Star </em>reflect troubling maintenance-related incidents.</p><p>For example, there was an engine malfunction during a training flight of one of the RC-135s this fall. The plane, an &#8220;Open Skies&#8221; aircraft, is used to help monitor an international arms treaty and often carries foreign military officers during observation flights over other countries.