A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday during a combat mission, killing four of the six crew members on board, according to U.S. Central Command. The aircraft was involved in an incident with another plane while operating in what the military described as “friendly airspace,” and the second aircraft landed safely. Central Command said rescue and recovery efforts remain underway while the circumstances surrounding the crash are being investigated.
The tanker was supporting U.S. operations connected to the ongoing conflict involving Iran at the time of the incident. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the aircraft crashed “while the crew was on a combat mission,” according to the BBC. Central Command said the aircraft’s loss was “not due to hostile or friendly fire,” the Associated Press reported, and the identities of the crew members are being withheld pending notification of their families.
The KC-135 Stratotanker, based on the Boeing 707 airframe, has served for more than six decades as the backbone of the U.S. military’s aerial refueling fleet, enabling aircraft to extend range and remain on station longer during missions. The aircraft typically operates with a crew that includes pilots and a boom operator responsible for controlling the refueling arm used to transfer fuel to other aircraft in flight. The Air Force is gradually introducing the newer KC-46A Pegasus tanker as part of a long-term replacement plan for the aging KC-135 fleet.
I’m reading various news posts stating that the “other aircraft” was another KC-135 that landed safely in Tel Aviv, albeit with half of its vertical stabilizer sheared off. Is it common for two or more tankers to fly in close proximity?