- U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft crashes in Iraq during Iran conflict operations
- Four crew members killed; two others involved in incident survive
- U.S. military says crash not caused by hostile or friendly fire
- U.S. service member deaths in Iran conflict rise to at least 11
A military refueling aircraft collided with four U.S. service members killing them in western Iraq in operations related to the ongoing conflict with Iran, U.S. Central Command said on Friday.
The plane was a KC-135 aerial refauling tanker plane that was flown by the U.S. Air Force and crashed in friendly airspace. A report by Reuters of a statement by U.S Central Command indicated that the crash was neither a result of hostile or friend fire. Two other members of the crew survived the plane crash as rescue efforts were carried out in the remote area deserted in the desert of the plane.
"The crash was not the result of hostile or friendly fire," U.S. Central Command said in a statement, adding that the aircraft went down while operating in friendly airspace during regional operations.
The killings bring the number of U.S. military people killed during the operations related to the conflict with Iran to at least 11. The authorities did not include the names of the four dead crew members, as they mentioned that the notification of the death to their families would not take place.
There is early information that the crash might have been related to two planes flying within one space. Conflicts on the same issue have been confirmed by Central Command earlier that during the mission, an incident took place involving two aircraft where one of the planes crashed and the other landed safely.
Inquiry on the Potential Midair Crash
The officials of the U.S. military indicated that investigators are looking at the possibility of a midair crash to be the cause of the crash. An official in the United States also informed Reuters that the second aircraft in the incident was also a KC-135 tanker which was able to safely fly back to base after the incident.
Air to air refueling services are commonplace in U.S air force missions but are technically tricky. These are delicate operations because aircraft fly at small distances with each other as they transfer fuel in the air.
Military investigators are going through flight data and condition of operation to find what was the cause of the accident. It shall also be investigated on weather conditions, flight coordination and mechanical problems that might have resulted in the crash.
One of the oldest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory is the KC-135 which continues to be at the centre of the aerial refueling missions across the world. The tanker aircraft allows fighter jets, surveillance and transport planes to spend larger periods of time in the air by supplying them with fuel as they fly.
Even when old, the aircrafts are still popular in the various international operations due to their capability of long distance refueling and their logistical significance.
Aircraft Losses in Iran Conflict Added with Crash
The accident is the fourth American manned aircraft accident since the operation Epic Fury began in late February in response to the growing tensions with Iran.
"Investigators are examining whether there may have been a midair collision between the two aircraft operating in the same area," a U.S. official told Reuters.
The tanker crash was not associated with the enemy action as opposed to the previous accidents during the operation. In the same month, three U.S. Air force F-15E Strike Eagle fighters were shot down in a friendly-fire incident involving Kuwait F/A-18 aircraft (Reuters).
The area of the KC-135 crash is mainly desert area that is not inhabited in the western part of Iraq and this has made it hard to search and rescue people. The rescue teams were still going on with the search to find the plane that went down and rescue more of the crew members as the investigation was still in process.
The KC-135 Aircrafts have been a hallmark of the U.S. air operations, especially in wars that entail air operations over a long duration. Although it is not common in accidents involving the tanker aircraft, the wide usage of the aircraft presents more risks to the pilots during the intricate flight manoeuvres.
The KC-135s final fatal accident was in 2013 when a tanker involved in fueling operations in Afghanistan crashed soon after departing Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan killing three U.S. airmen.
The authorities indicated that more information regarding the crash in Iraq will be made available when the investigation is done and the recovery efforts are done.
