US EditionUS military confirms all six crew members dead after refueling plane crashed in Iraq
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 crashed during Operation Epic Fury, killing all six crew; CENTCOM confirmed no hostile or friendly fire caused the incident.
- On Thursday, March 12, 2026, a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq during Operation Epic Fury, killing all six crew members, U.S. Central Command confirmed on Friday.
- The crash resulted from an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in friendly airspace, with the second plane landing safely; CENTCOM officials ruled out hostile or friendly fire as causes.
- Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian proxies, claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft "in defense of our country's sovereignty," though U.S. officials state there is no evidence supporting the claim.
- This incident marks the fourth U.S. military aircraft loss during Operation Epic Fury, immediately straining CENTCOM's mid-air refuelling capacity and reducing availability for sustained air operations against Iranian targets.
- The aging KC-135 fleet, in service for over 60 years, faces reliability concerns as the Air Force transitions to next-generation KC-46A Pegasus tankers to replace the outdated aircraft.
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372 Articles
US reveals identity of six soldiers feared dead in KC-135 refueling aircraft crash
The Pentagon has identified the six service members, who were killed when a US KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday. No fewer than three of the Air Force airmen were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The Pentagon listed the deceased service members as: Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34…
U.S. identifies six service members killed in plane crash over Iraq
The airmen were on a KC-135 aerial refuelling tanker supporting U.S. attacks on Iran. The crash involved another aircraft, but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire and is under investigation, the military has said
Pentagon identifies 6 airmen killed in KC-135 crash during mission over Iraq
The refueling tanker was supporting US operations against Iran when it crashed in friendly airspace after an incident involving another aircraft, killing service members from Florida and Ohio, including a newly promoted Alabama major and father of three
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