Four Service Members Confirmed Killed in KC-135 Crash Over Iraq
Search and Rescue operations are ongoing for an additional two crew members.
Tommy Flynn
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on March 13, 2026, that four of six crew members aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft were killed when it crashed in western Iraq the previous day.
The incident occurred around 2 p.m. ET on March 12 during Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led campaign against Iran, with the aircraft operating in friendly airspace. A second KC-135 involved in the operation landed safely.
CENTCOM stated the crash was not due to hostile or friendly fire, and an investigation is underway. Rescue efforts continue for the two remaining crew members, whose status is unknown.
The identities of the deceased are withheld pending next-of-kin notification, expected within 24 hours. The fatalities raise the U.S. service member death toll in the Iran conflict, which began February 28, to 11, including seven from prior incidents.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for downing the plane, but CENTCOM confirmed the crash was unrelated to any hostile action. This marks the Air Force's first fatalities in the war and the fourth U.S. aircraft lost.