Military Investigates Cause of Refueling Aircraft Accident

A US KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Western Iraq on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of all six airmen on board. The incident occurred during a combat mission, and according to US Central Command, was not due to hostile or friendly fire. A second aircraft, reportedly another KC-135, was involved in the events leading up to the crash but landed safely. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. This latest incident follows a series of recent military aviation accidents, including the friendly fire downing of three US F-15s over Kuwait. The US military has reported the deaths of 13 servicemembers since the start of combat operations. The incident was first reported by Breaking Defense.