It’s On the Kyrgyz Controller, Mostly

Dec. 21, 2006

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

US Air Force officials investigating the Sept. 26 accident at Manas Airport in Kyrgyzstan involving a Kyrgyz airliner and a USAF KC-135 found the accident to be primarily the fault of a Kyrgyz air traffic controller. An earlier announcement by Kyrgyz officials put the blame squarely on the USAF aircrew. The USAF accident board acknowledged that the KC-135 aircrew shared some responsibility. The board also faulted a tower liaison employed by the US to ease communication.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

T-38 Crashes in Alabama, Two Pilots Eject Safely

To Replace Lost MQ-9s, USAF Eyes Next-Gen Reaper

Air Combat Command to Take Over Fighter and Drone Pilot Training

US Space Command, Allies Crafting Ops Plan for Orbital Warfare

Related

USAF to Buy Thousands of New Radios to Help Rescue Downed Pilots

May 14, 2026
The Air Force plans to start buying thousands of advanced new handheld radios in 2027 for downed aircrew to communicate with search-and-rescue forces, a capability spotlighted earlier this year during the recovery of two aviators shot down in Iran.

KC-46 Plan Vows Readiness Boost but Vision System Slips to 2028

May 14, 2026
The Air Force says it has formed a plan with Boeing to get key upgrades deployed across the KC-46 tanker fleet faster—but the service acknowledged it won't start fielding the refueler’s upgraded vision system until 2028, a slight schedule slip.

Air Force Plans to Set New Goal for B-21 Fleet Size in 2028 Budget

May 14, 2026
There's a growing consensus among experts, lawmakers, and Pentagon leaders that the Air Force should buy more than the planned minimum of 100 B-21 stealth bombers. Exactly how many more is a question USAF will likely answer in its 2028 budget request, the service’s top planner said May 13.

Pentagon Pushes Back on CBO’s Trillion-Dollar Golden Dome Estimate

May 14, 2026
A Congressional Budget Office estimate that pegs the 20-year cost of the Pentagon’s Golden Dome program at $1.2 trillion dollars is based on inaccurate assumptions about the advanced missile shield’s architecture, according to the general in charge of the project.