The US Air Force has confirmed that all three crew members aboard a Boeing KC-135 tanker died when their aircraft crashed in Kyrgyzstan shortly after take-off on 3 May. The service on 6 May named the deceased airmen as Capt Mark Voss, Capt Victoria Pinckney and Tech Sgt Herman Mackey III, all from the 93rd Air Refuelling Squadron, home based at Fairchild AFB, Washington.

 KC-135 wreck - Rex Features

Rex Features

An investigation is under way to determine what caused the almost 50 year-old KC-135R to come down during the flight from the Transit Centre at Bishkek's Manas international airport.

 KC-135 crash wing - Rex Features

Rex Features

The USAF's active fleet of KC-135 tankers totalled 360 R-model aircraft and 54 KC-135Ts prior to the accident, says Flightglobal's MiliCAS database.

Source: FlightGlobal.com