A Kyrgyzstan Tu-154 passenger airplane hit a US Air Force KC-135—wing tip to wing tip—at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, as the Tu-154 was taking off and the KC-135 was taxiing from the runway following its refueling mission. The USAF tanker caught fire, but the three crewmen aboard escaped without injury. According to a USAF release, the Kyrgyz aircraft continued its takeoff but then made an immediate emergency landing. No one on the airliner was injured. A joint investigation is underway.
Airmen from the California Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves brushed up on their aerial firefighting skills late last month in preparation for the 2024 wildfire season, which could see fires break out across North America.