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USAF KC-135 Stratotanker lost over Iraq
US Central Command (CENTCOM) reports the loss of a US Air Force (USAF) KC-135 Stratonker 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 second landed safely.
The KC-135 is not equipped with ejection seats.
This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.
According to CENTCOM, more information will be made available as the situation develops. We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.
As reported, platforms like the KC-135 have been deployed to the Middle East to support Operation Epic Fury. According to Breaking Defense, the Stratotanker is tasked to provide fuel to get across the Atlantic or extending time on station for jets striking Iranian targets. The aircraft is more vulnerable to enemy fire than newer, sophisticated jets like stealth fighters, and typically operates outside of contested environments as a result.
Shell 77
The incident is the first crash of a KC-135 since 2013, where three crew members died in a mishap shortly after takeoff.
In fact, on May 3, 2013, a KC-135R, call sign Shell 77, crashed in the foothills of mountains located six miles south of Chaldovar, Kyrgyz Republic. The Aircraft was assigned to the 22d Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, Kan., and was flown by members of the 92d Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild AFB, WA. The crew was flying out of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing at the Transit Center at Manas.
The crew was departing from the Transit Center at Manas to Afghanistan on a combat aerial refueling mission. The aircraft exploded in flight, impacted the terrain at three main locations, and burned, costing the lives of Capt Mark Tyler Voss, Capt Victoria A. “Tori” Pinckney, and TSgt Herman “Tre” Mackey III.
According to Air Mobility Command (AMC) Accident Investigation Board (AIB), immediately after takeoff, a flight control system malfunction generated directional instability, causing the aircraft’s nose to drift from side-to-side, or “rudder-hunt.” This condition, not fully diagnosed by the crew, progressed into a more dangerous oscillatory instability known as “Dutch roll.”
The core of USAF aerial refueling capability
The KC-135 Stratotanker provides the core aerial refueling capability for the United States Air Force and has excelled in this role for nearly 70 years. This unique asset enhances the Air Force’s capability to accomplish its primary mission of global reach. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft. The KC-135 is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.
Four turbofans, mounted under 35-degree swept wings, power the KC-135 to takeoffs at gross weights of up to 322,500 pounds. A cargo deck above the refueling system can hold a mixed load of passengers and cargo. Depending on fuel storage configuration, the KC-135 can carry up to 83,000 pounds of cargo.
Nearly all internal fuel can be pumped through the flying boom, the KC-135’s primary fuel transfer method. One crewmember, known as the boom operator, is stationed in the rear of the plane and controls the boom during in-flight air refueling.
A special shuttlecock-shaped drogue attached to and trailing behind the flying boom may be used to refuel aircraft fitted with probes. Some aircraft have been configured with the multipoint refueling system, which consists of special pods mounted on the wingtips. These KC-135s are capable of refueling two receiver aircraft at the same time.
Despite its age, the Stratotanker will operate until 2050 or possibly even longer.
Photo credit: US Air Force
