A U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, killing all six crew members aboard. Officials say the loss was not due to hostile or friendly fire.

The KC-135 was reportedly lost after an incident involving another aircraft in friendly airspace over western Iraq; the second aircraft landed safely. A KC-135 was lost during Operation Epic Fury, U.S.

The tragedy, which occurred on Thursday during the ongoing "Operation Epic Fury," brings the total number of American service members killed in action during the current regional escalation to 13. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed the deaths of all six crew members aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker following a catastrophic mid-air collision with another aircraft over Western Iraq.

This week's mid-air crash between two Air Force jets that killed six flight crew members​ over Iraq is hitting close to home in Northern California.

In November 1996, two passenger jets converged in the same narrow air corridor over Delhi as one climbed out and the other descended toward landing. The Saudi Boeing 747 was holding its assigned altitude,