Air & Space Forces Magazine

KC-135 Crashes In Iraq While Supporting Iran Ops

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 supporting Epic Fury against Iran crashed in Iraq after a refueling incident involving two aircraft March 12.

CENTCOM reporting other aircraft landed safely.

Edited March 12Mar 12 by Ant-man

Six ANG crewmembers on the other jet that went down.

AMARC is pulling a donor vertical now.

Very bad on the good bad scale.

Them Them 🍻

#TankerLivesMatter

RIP friends.

WSJ is unclear about the last 2 crew members, reporting 4 killed, holding out hope for the last two.

Good job by the other crew getting that bird back on the ground.

All six remembers are deceased and have been recovered.

Damn. Condolences to the family and friends. May the fallen rest in peace.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/six-airmen-confirmed-dead-kc-135-crash-iran/

Edited March 13Mar 13 by Swizzle

Just last week I told some friends that my godson was being sent to the region but since he was flying -135s there wasn’t too much risk. He wasn’t involved, but this tragic accident starkly reminded me that flying airplanes always involves risk. Them…Them.

Prayers for their families and their squadron mates.

2 hours ago, bfargin said:

Just last week I told some friends that my godson was being sent to the region but since he was flying -135s there wasn’t too much risk. He wasn’t involved, but this tragic accident starkly reminded me that flying airplanes always involves risk. Them…Them.

Prayers for their families and their squadron mates.

There wasn’t too much risk?

Edited March 14Mar 14 by Sua Sponte

Crewmembers identified

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/03/15/pentagon-identifies-six-airmen-killed-in-kc-135-crash-in-iraq/


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Edited March 15Mar 15 by Sua Sponte

On 3/13/2026 at 11:43 PM, Sua Sponte said:

There wasn’t too much risk?

Grew up in the Marine KC community smokin a lucky. Old heads would tell of the risk aversion, how we were "high value assets", Corps was lucky to have Herks a' la Key West Agreement and all that.

Fast forward to OIF week one: community had already lost one crew the prior year, I had a front row seat to a notable blue on blue, and now crews were coming back with SAFREPs of having to maneuver due to active tracking by AAA on the way into the LZ. Kinda rearranges your worldview right quick.

Stay frosty folks.

2 hours ago, BFM this said:

Grew up in the Marine KC community smokin a lucky. Old heads would tell of the risk aversion, how we were "high value assets", Corps was lucky to have Herks a' la Key West Agreement and all that.

Fast forward to OIF week one: community had already lost one crew the prior year, I had a front row seat to a notable blue on blue, and now crews were coming back with SAFREPs of having to maneuver due to active tracking by AAA on the way into the LZ. Kinda rearranges your worldview right quick.

Stay frosty folks.

There’s a reason why the KC-46 has a defensive system. The KC-135 nor KC-10 do not.