Four American crew dead after refuelling aircraft crashes in Iraq, US military says

Four US crew members were killed when an American KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, the US military said on Friday, adding that the incident was not caused by "hostile fire or friendly fire".

"Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue," US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a statement on X.

An investigation was under way into Thursday's crash, it added. "However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," it said.

Four Confirmed Deceased in Loss of U.S. KC-135 Over Iraq

TAMPA, Fla. – At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue.

The…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 13, 2026