Four crew members killed after US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq – First Air Force Fatalies in US-Iran War
At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue.
U.S. Central Command is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing. Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely.
This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.
At least one tanker was operating from Israel, flight tracking data indicates.
The KC-135 has been in service since the 1960s, and the average aircraft is more than 66 years old. The Air Force’s tanker fleet has been in extremely high demand during Operation Epic Fury, refueling fighters, bombers, and support aircraft.
This is the first loss of a KC-135—or any Air Force tanker—in 13 years. In May 2013, a Stratotanker crashed in the foothills of mountains in Kyrgyzstan immediately after taking off to support operations over Afghanistan. Three Airmen died in the incident.