The Pentagon on Saturday cleared for publication the names of the six U.S. Air Force crew members who died when a refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq on Thursday.
The killed crew members were identified as Maj. John “Alex” Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana Savino, 31; Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34; Capt. Seth Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28.
Six killed in U.S. military plane crash during Iran War identified as:
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) March 15, 2026
- Maj. John A. Klinner, 33.
- Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31.
- Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34.
- Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38.
- Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30.
- Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28. pic.twitter.com/TQdV9N4I7Y
The men and women died when a KC-135 refueling plane that was taking part in military operations against Iran crashed “over friendly airspace,” U.S. Central Command announced in a Friday statement.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation,” CENTCOM stated, adding that “the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
Their deaths brought the total number of confirmed American troops killed in “Operation Epic Fury” against the Islamic Republic to 13.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters on Friday of the crash that “bad things can happen.
“War is hell. War is chaos,” Hegseth said. “We will greet those heroes at Dover [at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland], and their sacrifice will only recommit us to the resolve of this mission.”
