U.S. military plane crashes in southern Kyrgyzstan

[PMedMoe]

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A U.S. military refuelling plane exploded in mid air and crashed in southern Kyrgyzstan on Friday, the Central Asian country’s Emergencies Ministry said.

The aircraft took off from the U.S. military transit centre at Kyrgyzstan’s international Manas airport, which U.S. forces maintain for operations in Afghanistan, the Interfax news agency reported.

The plane, used for inflight refuelling, disappeared from radar screens at 3.10 p.m. (0910 GMT), as it flew near the Kyrgyz village of Chaldovar, the ministry said.

“(The plane) caught fire in the air and crashed,” said a ministry official responsible for the southern Kyrgyz province of Chuisk, where Chaldovar is located, some 60 km (40 miles) from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Officials did not say where the plane was heading, and the U.S. transit centre has declined to comment.

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So soon after the crash near Bagram.

 

[eurowing]

Damn.

 

[Canadian.Trucker]

I'm going to assume no survivors.  Thoughts and prayers with the family.

 

[tomahawk6]

http://www.defense.gov/release...aspx?releaseid=15978

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 299-13
May 05, 2013


DOD Identifies Air Force Casualties


The Department of Defense announced today the death of three airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died May 3, near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, in the crash of a KC-135 aircraft. The airmen were assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Killed were:

Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo.,

Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, 27, of Palmdale, Calif., and

Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, Calif.

For more information, media may contact the 92nd Air Refueling Wing public affairs office at 509-247-5705.

 

[OldSolduer]

RIP troops.