Details of the Incident
On March 12, a KC-135 Stratotanker belonging to the United States Air Force tragically crashed in western Iraq during a combat mission that was part of Operation "Epic Fury." This devastating incident resulted in the loss of all six crew members on board. Among the fallen was Technical Sergeant Tyler H. Simmons, a 28-year-old native of Columbus, Ohio. Sergeant Simmons served as a boom operator with the 166th Air Refueling Squadron, which is affiliated with the 121st Air Refueling Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, based at Rickenbacker.
Investigations and Findings
On March 15, the Pentagon provided confirmation regarding the circumstances surrounding the crash. It occurred in friendly airspace and followed an incident involving another aircraft that managed to land safely without damage. Importantly, officials stated that preliminary findings indicated the crash was neither due to hostile fire nor friendly fire. An investigation is currently underway, but initial reports suggest that the tanker may have sustained damage to its tail during in-flight refueling operations.
As reported by ledesk.ma.
