A U.S. military KC-135 refueling plane has crashed in western Iraq in an incident involving two aircraft, according to the Pentagon. Six crew members were on board, it is believed they are deceased, but there was no official word on their condition.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday that the incident happened in friendly airspace and was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, while the second one landed safely after declaring a mayday call.
This marks the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as a part of Operation Epic Fury. Last Monday, the U.S. military also confirmed that three F-15E Strike Eagles were downed in a friendly-fire incident involving Kuwait, but all 6 crew members safely ejected.
The Pentagon said more information would become available as "the situation develops" and asked for patience as more details were gathered "to provide clarity for the families of service members."
Aircraft Information: Damaged
Owner/operator: United States Air Force - USAF
Aircraft: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker
Registration: 63-8017
MSN: 18634
Aircraft Information: Crashed
Owner/operator: United States Air Force - USAF
Aircraft: Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker
Registration: No details released yet
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time.
No comments:
Post a Comment