One of the crew members is from Washington: 31-year-old Capt. Ariana G. Savino. She was from Covington. — The Pentagon has identified the six airmen who died in an aircraft crash in western Iraq on Thursday.
One of the crew members is from Washington: 31-year-old Capt. Ariana G. Savino. She was from Covington.
She was one of three who were from the 99th Air Refueling Squadron.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of Alex, Ariana and Ashley. To lose a member of the Air Force family is excruciatingly painful, especially to those who know them as son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, mom, or dad. To lose them at the same time is unimaginable. Our hearts and minds are with the family, friends and loved ones of our fallen Airmen,” shared Col Ed Szczepanik, 6th Air Refueling Wing Commander.
“Our communities feel this loss deeply and Team MacDill will ensure their sacrifices and service to our nation are never forgotten. We will honor them each and every day as we continue to answer our nation’s call.”
MacDill Air Force Base is a geographically separated unit stationed at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama, but functions administratively under the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
Other airmen who were killed in the crash
- 33-year-old Maj. John Alex Klinner of Auburn, Alabama
- 34-year-old Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt of Bardstown, Kentucky
- 38-year-old Capt. Seth R. Koval of Mooresville, Indiana
- 30-year-old Capt. Curtis J. Angst of Wilmington, Ohio
- Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio
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The Pentagon said Saturday the incident is still under investigation.
The crew was aboard a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft when it crashed.
The KC-135 allows aircraft to refuel in the sky to remain in a battle zone for longer. They can also be configured to carry cargo and medical patients.
The US military said that the incident was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
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