A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling plane supporting American military actions against Iran, crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, March 12. Any update regarding the crew’s safety has not been received yet as recovery and rescue efforts continued through the night.
Several U.S. officials have stated that the KC-135 crashed in western Iraq during the ongoing American offensive against Iran, which has been termed Operation Epic Fury. An Iraqi intelligence source has revealed that the aircraft crashed near Turaibil, which is close to the border with Jordan.
According to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the “incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue operations are ongoing.” CENTCOM also mentioned that two planes were involved in the particular incident. It stated that while one crashed in western Iraq, the other landed safely.
CENTCOM further clarified that the incident did not happen because of hostile or friendly fire.
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
U.S. officials described the operations underway at the crash site as both recovery and rescue efforts. As mentioned earlier, officials have not publicly disclosed the crew’s status.
Both planes involved in the crash were KC-135 Stratotankers, which are key for the country’s aerial operations. Despite the second aircraft being damaged, it managed to land safely, according to U.S. officials.
Flight tracking data further showed that a KC-135 operating from Israel declared an in-flight emergency before landing in Tel Aviv on March 12. On the afternoon of the same day, CENTCOM said in a statement that both aircraft were involved in the same incident.
An unofficial Air Force-focused Facebook page later shared a photo of the second Stratotanker on the ground with a large portion of its tail missing. However, Air & Space Forces Magazine noted that the image’s authenticity hasn’t been independently verified by them.
The number of casualties hasn’t been confirmed. Notably, a KC-135 usually has a minimum crew of three people: two pilots and a boom operator, who handles midair refueling.
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This is the fourth crash that has been publicly acknowledged involving a crewed aircraft linked to Operation Epic Fury. However, U.S. officials have said that none of these incidents were caused directly by Iranian fire.
Earlier in March, three F-15E Eagle fighters were shot down in a friendly-fire incident involving Kuwaiti F/A-18s. No casualties occurred because all six crew members were rescued.
In addition to these incidents, the U.S. war with Iran has already resulted in the deaths of six U.S. soldiers in Port Shabubia, Kuwait, due to an Iranian strike. Another soldier also died at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
As the conflict with Iran continues to intensify, more information on the injuries and casualties from these two crashes is still awaited.
