KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq on Thursday was not from the 134th Air Refueling Wing, based out of East Tennessee at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, officials confirmed to WVLT News.
The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said the crash followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace” over western Iraq, and that the other plane landed safely.
All six crew members aboard the plane died in the crash, the U.S. military said Friday. Officials said the circumstances of the crash are under investigation but that the loss of the aircraft was “not due to hostile or friendly fire.”
Previous Coverage: US military says all 6 airmen in refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq are dead
The crash brings the U.S. death toll in Operation Epic Fury to at least 13 service members, seven of whom were killed in combat. About 140 U.S. service members have been injured, including eight severely, the Pentagon said earlier this week.
The KC-135 Stratotanker is a U.S. Air Force aircraft used to refuel other planes in midair, allowing them to travel longer distances and maintain operations longer without landing. The plane is also used to transport wounded personnel during medical evacuations or conduct surveillance missions, according to military experts.
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