Four U.S. Service Members Killed in Refueling Plane in Iraq

What Happened?

According to the U.S. military, four American servicemen were killed over the weekend after their KC-135 refueling plane crashed at an undisclosed location in Iraq.

Another aircraft that was reportedly damaged during the incident, landed safely in Israel. U.S. Central Command said that another two crewmembers from the refueling aircraft remained unaccounted for, but that search and rescue operations were underway.

The U.S. military also said neither aircraft was damaged by enemy fire, but they gave no further details on the incident since an investigation is still ongoing. The identities of those killed in action are being withheld from the public until they have notified next of kin.

Why it Matters

With the loss of four crewmembers of the KC-135 Stratotanker in Iraq, the total number of American military personnel killed in action during the Iran war has risen to eleven, with two more crewmembers whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The fact that two aircraft were damaged at the same time and one was a refueling plane suggests a refueling mishap, which can occur during refueling operations. Though details have yet to be made public, it is possible the boom broke during refueling and the debris is what damaged the tail section of the aircraft.

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The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is a primary aerial refueling aircraft with a one hundred and thirty-foot wingspan, one hundred thirty six-foot length, and forty one-foot height.

Stratotankers are powered by four CFM56 engines, and they can transport two hundred thousand pounds of transferable fuel, eighty-three thousand pounds of cargo, or up to thirty-seven passengers. During refueling, the KC-135 extends a boom which temporarily connects to another aircraft while in-flight, allowing for an airborne transfer of fuel.

Because of the limited range of the refueling boom, the refueling plane and aircraft receiving fuel must fly closely together and at precise speeds to safely complete the fuel transfer. If the refueling boom broke during a fuel transfer, the debris from the broken boom could have struck both aircraft causing structural damage.

The damage to the tail section of one of the aircraft is consistent with that type of mishap, though there could still be other explanations.

Airborne refueling is critical to operations because it allows aircraft to complete multiple missions without returning to base and it allows combat planes to carry out missions well beyond their stand-alone fuel range.

With refueling aircraft in place, combat planes such as fighters and bombers can conduct more frequent and sustained operations than they otherwise would be able to. Without an air refueling capability, the number of attacks that can be carried out over a given time period would be significantly less.

How it Affects You

With high-tempo operations, which means a large number of planes flying continuously over an extended time period, the likelihood of mishaps increases. Sustained combat operations can push people and equipment past their limits, and when that happens, incidents like the KC-135 crash can occur.

If operations continue at their current temp over Iran, unfortunately the chances for more incidents like this will continue to be a problem for the U.S. and Israeli Air Forces.

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