U.S. Air Force KC-135 Crash in Iraq Kills Six Airmen; Local Report Says Four

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq on March 12 while supporting operations against Iran.

“aircraft loss since the war began, underscoring the intensity and complexity of ongoing combat operations across the Middle East”

@pmnewsnigeria

U.S. Central Command and multiple outlets initially reported differing casualty counts but later confirmed that all six crew members aboard the tanker died.

@pmnewsnigeria

U.S. Central Command said the incident occurred in “friendly airspace” during Operation Epic Fury.

CENTCOM said two aircraft were involved, the loss was not due to hostile or friendly fire, and rescue and investigative teams were operating at the remote crash site.

AeroTime

Investigators and multiple news organizations have said a midair collision between two KC-135s is suspected.

“The names of the deceased are being withheld for 24 hours after the U”

Air & Space Forces Magazine

Flight-tracking data and images circulated online showed a second tanker declaring an emergency and landing with visible vertical-tail damage.

The tanker loss is the latest in a series of aircraft mishaps tied to the high-tempo Operation Epic Fury campaign.

Outlets characterized the crash as the fourth publicly acknowledged U.S. aircraft loss during the conflict and said it increased the U.S. military death toll linked to the campaign.

Air & Space Forces Magazine

The crash reignited questions about the age and readiness of the KC-135 tanker fleet and the demand for aerial refueling amid sustained operations.

“However, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for shooting down the plane, announcing that it shot down a US Army KC-135 aircraft in western Iraq “with the appropriate weapon””

Al Jazeera

Multiple outlets noted the KC-135’s decades-long service, the large number still in inventory, and the slow transition to the KC-46A replacement.

Al Jazeera