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ROUTE FOR ABOUT A FIFTH OF THE WORLD’S OIL. MEANWHILE, IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS WELL, OFFICIALS ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAUSED A REFUELING PLANE TO CRASH IN WESTERN IRAQ THURSDAY. THAT WAS WHILE SUPPORTING OPERATIONS AGAINST IRAN. THE PENTAGON SAYS ALL SIX U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS ON BOARD DIED. WE’LL HEAR THEIR NAMES IN JUST A MOMENT. BUT FIRST, RICKY PODGORSKI TALKED TO THE AVIATION MUSEUM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ABOUT HOW THE IN AIR REFUELING PROCESS ALL WORKS. THOSE CREW MEMBERS WERE ON BOARD A KC 135 REFUELING PLANE. WE HAVE A MODEL OF THAT PLANE HERE AT THE AVIATION MUSEUM. WE ACTUALLY SPOKE TO SOME STAFF ABOUT HOW A PLANE LIKE THIS REFUELS OTHER PLANES MID-AIR. AS INVESTIGATORS DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. OVER IRAQ. U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND SAYING THE CRASH HAPPENED AFTER AN UNSPECIFIED INCIDENT INVOLVING TWO AIRCRAFTS AND FRIENDLY AIRSPACE. ADDING THE CRASH WAS NOT CAUSED BY HOSTILE OR FRIENDLY FIRE. THE SECOND PLANE LANDED SAFELY. SIX PEOPLE DIED ON THE CRASHED PLANE A KC 135 STRATOTANKER. STAFF AT THE AVIATION MUSEUM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SAY THAT PLANE MODEL HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 50S. IT’S STILL ACTIVELY BEING FLOWN BY THE AIR FORCE. THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD AND THE AIR FORCE RESERVES. THESE SHOTS ARE OF THE UPDATED REFUELER MODEL. THE KC 46 A. THE AVIATION MUSEUM SAYS THE REFUELING PROCESS BETWEEN THE TWO MODELS IS EXTREMELY SIMILAR. WHILE IN FLIGHT, THE REFUELER MOVES AN EXTENDABLE PORT CALLED A BOOM INTO OTHER PLANES WHERE FUEL IS DISPENSED. THE AIR REFUELER ACTUALLY FLIES THAT BOOM. FINE TUNES THE LOCATION RIGHT TO THE REFUELING PORT OF THE. OF THE SMALLER AIRCRAFT. THE FIGHTER PEELS OFF. THE NEXT PLANE COMES IN AND. THOSE PILOTS HAVE EXTENSIVE REFUELING TRAINING. SO FOR THEM IT’S STANDARD PROCEDURE. AND THEIR EXPERIENCE. AND THEY DO TRAIN FOR THAT WHILE MID-AIR REFUELING IS COMMON PRACTICE. INVESTIGATORS ARE NOW FOCUSED ON FIGURING OUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN IRAQ. THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. THE REFUELING PLANE CRASH NOW BRINGS THE U.S. DEATH TOLL IN OPERATION EPIC FURY TO 13 REPORTING IN LONDONDERRY, RICKY PODGORSKI, WMUR NEWS NINE. THANK YOU, RICKY. AND ALSO TONIGHT, THE PENTAGON IDENTIFIED THE SIX AIRMEN KILLED IN THAT CRASH. THESE ARE THEIR NAMES ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW. FIRST 33 YEAR OLD MAJOR JOHN, A CLEANER OF AUBURN, ALABAMA, SECOND, 31 YEAR OLD CAPTAIN ARIANA G. SAVINO OF COVINGTON, WASHINGTON, THEN 34 YEAR OLD TECHNICAL SERGEANT ASHLEY B PRUITT OF BARDSTOWN, KENTUCKY. ALSO 38 YEAR OLD CAPTAIN SETH. R KOVAL OF MOORESVILLE, INDIANA, AS WELL AS 30 YEAR OLD CAPTAIN CURTIS J. ANGST OF WILMINGTON, OHIO. AND FINALLY, 28 YEAR OLD TECHNICAL SERGEANT TYLER H. SIMMONS OF COLUMBUS, OHIO. CLINARD, SAVINO AND PRUITT WERE ALL ASSIGNED TO THE SIXTH AIR REFUELING WING AT MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE IN TAMPA BAY. KOVAL, ANGST AND SIMMONS WERE ASSIGNED TO THE 121ST AIR
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Experts explain mid-air plane refueling process after six US crewmembers killed in crash in Iraq
Six crew members were killed in a refueling plane crash in western Iraq on Wednesday. The aircraft was a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, and United States Central Command said the crash happened after an “unspecified incident involving two aircraft in friendly airspace.”Central Command also said the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire. The second plane involved in the incident landed safely.On Saturday, the Department of War identified the six airmen: Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky, were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. Staff at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire said the KC-135 model has been in service since the 1950s.“It’s still actively being flown by the Air Force, the Air National Guard, and the Air Force Reserves,” museum volunteer Bill MacMillan said.While in flight, the KC-135 and its updated model, the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, extend a refueling boom that transfers fuel to other aircraft.“The air refueler actually flies that boom to a fine-tuned location right to the refueling port of the smaller aircraft,” museum volunteer Chuck Poltack said. “The fighter jet peels off, and the next one comes in.”Poltack said that the pilots and refueling crews undergo extensive training.“For them it’s standard procedure. They’re experienced and they train for that.”While mid-air refueling is a common practice, investigators are now focused on determining what happened in Iraq.The cause of the crash has not been determined by the Pentagon. The aircraft was on a support mission in operations against Iran. The six casualties bring the U.S. death toll in Operation Epic Fury to 13.
Six crew members were killed in a refueling plane crash in western Iraq on Wednesday. The aircraft was a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, and United States Central Command said the crash happened after an “unspecified incident involving two aircraft in friendly airspace.”
Central Command also said the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire. The second plane involved in the incident landed safely.
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On Saturday, the Department of War identified the six airmen: Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky, were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio.
Staff at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire said the KC-135 model has been in service since the 1950s.
“It’s still actively being flown by the Air Force, the Air National Guard, and the Air Force Reserves,” museum volunteer Bill MacMillan said.
While in flight, the KC-135 and its updated model, the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, extend a refueling boom that transfers fuel to other aircraft.
“The air refueler actually flies that boom to a fine-tuned location right to the refueling port of the smaller aircraft,” museum volunteer Chuck Poltack said. “The fighter jet peels off, and the next one comes in.”
Poltack said that the pilots and refueling crews undergo extensive training.
“For them it’s standard procedure. They’re experienced and they train for that.”
While mid-air refueling is a common practice, investigators are now focused on determining what happened in Iraq.
The cause of the crash has not been determined by the Pentagon. The aircraft was on a support mission in operations against Iran. The six casualties bring the U.S. death toll in Operation Epic Fury to 13.
