KC-135 Tanker Crashes in Iraq During Iran War — All Six Crew Members Killed
A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq during an Operation Epic Fury sortie, killing all six crew. A second KC-135 landed with damage. Not caused by enemy fire — an operational accident during a war with overstretched forces.
On March 12, 2026, a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq during an Operation Epic Fury sortie, killing all six crew members. A second KC-135 involved in the mid-air incident landed safely at Ben Gurion Airport with damage to its vertical stabilizer.
The crash was not caused by hostile or enemy fire. It was the first loss of a KC-135 — or any Air Force tanker — in 13 years.
The six killed:
- Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, Auburn, Alabama
- Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, Covington, Washington
- Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, Bardstown, Kentucky
- Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, Mooresville, Indiana
- Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, Wilmington, Ohio
- Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, Columbus, Ohio
Their deaths brought the U.S. war toll to 13 service members — more than half from this single non-combat incident. They were refueling fighters engaged in a war their commander-in-chief would later describe as something he's "bored" with and wants to "move on" from.
Six Americans — ages 28 to 38 — died in an operational accident during a war of choice. Their names deserve to be remembered. The war they died for should never have started.