LONDON — 4 service members had been killed when their refueling plane “went down” in pleasant airspace in western Iraq, in line with U.S. Central Command.
“4 of six crew members on board the plane have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts proceed,” CENTCOM mentioned Friday.
The KC-135 plane went down at roughly 2 p.m. ET when two plane had been concerned in “an incident,” CENTCOM mentioned in a quick assertion Thursday, confirming that “one of many plane went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely.”
“This was not as a consequence of hostile hearth or pleasant hearth,” CENTCOM mentioned.
The opposite plane concerned was additionally a KC-135 tanker, in line with a U.S. official.
A US Air Drive Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial-refuelling plane flies over Tel Aviv on March 4, 2026. Israel launched contemporary strikes on Iran and Lebanon, the place state media reported a residential constructing was hit on March 4, as Iran’s Guards mentioned they’d sealed off one of many world’s most important transport routes for power.
Jack Guez/AFP by way of Getty Photos
The circumstances of the incident are at present below investigation and the identities of the service members who died within the incident are being withheld till 24 hours after subsequent of kin have been notified, officers mentioned.
KC-135 plane will not be geared up with parachutes and wouldn’t have ejection seats, that are primarily in fighter plane, officers have instructed ABC Information.
Passengers and crew members of KC-135s as an alternative are skilled on the way to exit the plane when it’s on land or on water, officers mentioned.
In line with a 2008 Air Drive profile of the tanker crews, the transfer to eliminate parachutes was made as a result of the tankers “seldom have mishaps, and the chance a KC-135 crew member would ever want to make use of a parachute is extraordinarily low.”
It is a growing story. Please test again for updates.
