All six crew members dead in US KC-135 aircraft crash in Iraq – Army Command

All six unit members aboard a United States KC-135 Stratotanker that crashed successful occidental Iraq connected Thursday person been confirmed dead, the United States Central Command announced connected Friday.

In an updated connection released connected Friday, the bid said rescue efforts for the 2 remaining unit had concluded, confirming that nary survivors were recovered astatine the clang site.

“All six unit members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refuelling craft that went down successful occidental Iraq are present confirmed deceased,” the bid stated.

CENTCOM added that the craft was mislaid connected March 12 portion operating implicit affable airspace arsenic portion of Operation Epic Fury.

The latest announcement came little than 24 hours aft officials initially reported 4 fatalities, with 2 unit members inactive missing astatine the time. The hunt and rescue ngo has present shifted to a betterment operation.

Military authorities stressed that the incidental was not caused by hostile activity.

“The circumstances of the incidental are nether investigation. However, the nonaccomplishment of the craft was not owed to hostile occurrence oregon affable fire,” the bid said.

The clarification indicates that investigators volition absorption connected imaginable non-combat factors specified arsenic mechanical failure, aviator mistake oregon different operational issues that m...