United States Air Force KC-135R/T Crash

A USAF KC-135R Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq near Turaibil on the Iraqi-Jordanian border during an Operation Epic Fury refueling sortie. CENTCOM confirmed that two KC-135s were involved in the incident, which was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, indicating a mid-air collision. The second tanker, serial 63-8017, made an emergency landing at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel with severe damage to its vertical stabilizer. All six crew members were killed, including three airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing. This was the first KC-135 loss in combat operations since 2013 and the fourth U.S. aircraft loss during Operation Epic Fury.