All 6 U.S. crew members killed after refueling plane crashes in Iraq

[Bluetus]

11. It is almost 100% certain that the collision was with another plane involved in the refueling operation

Last edited Fri Mar 13, 2026, 01:50 PM - Edit history (2)

We can safely assume that the tanker was in the air over "friendly" Iraq in order to top off other fighters/bombers that would be entering Iran. I mean, why else would a tanker be in the air over Iraq?

And this scenario explains why the Pentagon was able to rule out enemy fire so quickly. There were undoubtedly other aircraft in that attack group who witnessed the accident. Not a lot of questions what happened, other than the exact sequence of the contact.

I don't know anything about the surviving aircraft. It was either an escort plane or else a plane being refueled. Can anybody tell from the pictures of the surviving plane on the ground? Is this a plane that can be refueled in flight?

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On edit, the other aircraft was another tanker. That's a serious F-up. No way two tankers should be within a half mile of each other, especially in friendly airspace.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-iran-war-is-that-a-damaged-tail-us-kc-135-tanker-visuals-fuel-midair-collision-buzz-11209071