Six US Aircrew Killed After Military Refuelling Plane Crashes in Iraq

All six crew members aboard a US military refuelling aircraft have been confirmed dead after the plane crashed in western Iraq, according to the United States Central Command (Centcom).

The US military initially reported that four of the crew had been found dead, but later confirmed that all six personnel aboard the aircraft had died. Officials said there was no evidence that either hostile or friendly fire caused the crash involving the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker on Thursday.

The tanker aircraft had been taking part in ongoing US operations linked to the conflict with Iran. It was one of two aircraft involved in the mission, while the second plane landed safely.

Centcom said the crash occurred at about 14:00 ET (19:00 GMT) and that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident has been launched.

Following the crash, a search and rescue operation was carried out to locate the remaining crew members who were initially unaccounted for.

The US military said the identities of the deceased personnel would be withheld for 24 hours to allow time for their families to be notified.

During a news conference on Friday, Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the aircraft had gone down while the crew were on a combat mission.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth paid tribute to the crew, describing them as “American heroes” and saying their sacrifice would strengthen the resolve of the mission.

The KC-135 typically operates with a crew that includes a pilot, co-pilot and a boom operator responsible for controlling the aircraft’s refuelling arm used to supply fuel to other planes mid-flight.

Centcom said the crash occurred in friendly airspace. However, the region of western Iraq where the aircraft went down is known to host pro-Iranian militia groups. Iran’s military later claimed on state television that an allied group had targeted the aircraft with a missile.

The crash increases the official US military death toll in the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which began two weeks ago, to 13.

The US military has now lost at least four aircraft during the conflict.

Earlier this month, three McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighter jets were shot down in what officials described as an apparent friendly-fire incident over Kuwait. All six crew members aboard those aircraft were able to eject safely.

The KC-135 Stratotanker, manufactured by Boeing in the 1950s and early 1960s, has long been a cornerstone of the US military’s aerial refuelling fleet, enabling combat aircraft to conduct extended missions without needing to land.