Four US crew members killed as KC-135 refueling aircraft crashes in western Iraq

BAGHDAD — Four of the six crew members aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft were killed Thursday when the plane went down in western Iraq during Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command said Friday, ruling out hostile or friendly fire as the cause.

“Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”

CENTCOM said the crash occurred at approximately 2 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday and involved two aircraft — one of which went down in western Iraq while the second landed safely. The incident occurred in “friendly airspace” during Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military’s name for its ongoing campaign against Iran. Identities of the crew members are being withheld until next of kin are notified.

Reports point to a mid-air collision between the two KC-135s. One image circulating online purportedly showed the second aircraft — believed to have landed in Israel — missing a large portion of its vertical stabilizer, though the images could not be independently verified.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft “with the appropriate weapon.” CENTCOM directly contradicted the claim, saying the loss was not due to hostile fire.

The KC-135, which has been in service since the 1960s, is the backbone of the U.S. aerial refueling fleet and has been in high demand during Operation Epic Fury, refueling fighters, bombers and support aircraft across the region. It is the fourth U.S. military aircraft lost since strikes against Iran began Feb. 28. Three F-15E Strike Eagles were previously lost in a friendly fire incident involving Kuwaiti air defenses, though all crew members ejected safely in that case.

Before Thursday’s crash, the Pentagon had reported seven U.S. service member deaths in the ongoing campaign, with approximately 140 wounded.