The Central Command of the US military has said that all six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refuelling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased. The aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace on March 12 during Operation Epic Fury, the CENTCOM said.
All Crew Members of U.S. KC-135 Loss in Iraq Confirmed Deceased
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 13, 2026
TAMPA, Fla. – All six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased. The aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace March 12 during…
In a post on X, CENTCOM clarified that the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire, and that the circumstances of the incident are under investigation.
Earlier in the day, CENTOM had confirmed that a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft was lost over Iraq due to a collision with another Stratotanker. It is a major loss to the US military in the Operation Epic Fury where the US and Israel’s joint forces have been bombing Iran.
U.S. Central Command is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing. Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 12, 2026
The US Central Command confirmed that the incident occurred in friendly airspace and two KC-135s were in collision. Open source intel had reported that while one KC-135 was lost over Iraq with its 6-member crew, the other Stratotanker had managed to return to Tel Aviv.
The US Central Command’s statement of a collision between two of their own aircraft is in contrast with several Iranian and Iraqi sources claiming a hit.
The KC-135 Stratotanker is a four-engine jet-powered aerial refuelling tanker operated primarily by the United States Air Force. They have been in use for over 60 years and are popularly called ‘flying gas stations’.
It is made by Boeing from the same prototype that led to the commercial Boeing 707 airliner. The KC-135 first flew in 1956 and entered service in 1957. Multiple KC-135s are deployed in West Asia currently, out of the major US military bases that are involved in active combat in Operation Epic Fury. Just hours ago, the US forces shared photographs of a KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet mid-air.
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet over the middle east during Operation Epic Fury. pic.twitter.com/3z9UzXyLt9
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 12, 2026
The loss of the Stratotanker is a major development in the US offensive against Iran, along with the reported loss of half of their multi-billion dollar radar installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and other locations and the loss of three F-15E aircraft in friendly fire.
