Air Force launches investigation after human remains found in C-17 flying out of Kabul

| August 18, 2021

We talked about at least one C-17 Globemaster III aircraft of the US Air Force being mobbed by people as it taxied and ultimately took off in Kabul the other day. I posted the video of the incident, which I’ll post again below. It’s quite graphic.

It seems that human remains were found aboard that aircraft in the landing gear wells. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is looking into the matter, but I can’t imagine it’ll be a long investigation. Jeff LPH 3 sends in the Military Times report;

The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday confirmed that human remains were found in the wheel well of a C-17 Globemaster III after desperate Afghans mobbed the transport jet as it departed Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul Monday.

The service’s Office of Special Investigations has opened an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the widely covered incident that went viral on social media.

“[OSI] is reviewing all available information regarding a C-17 aircraft that departed Hamid Karzai International Airport [on Aug. 16] and the loss of civilian lives — to include video documentation and the source of social media posts,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in an email.

Investigators will also look into online videos and press reports of people falling from the aircraft on departure, she said. Afghans clung to the jet during takeoff and were captured on video plunging from the sky.

“OSI’s review will be thorough to ensure we obtain the facts regarding this tragic incident,” Stefanek said. “Our hearts go out to the families of the deceased.”

As the U.S. winds down its withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war, Taliban militants have swiftly regained control of the beleaguered nation, sending locals fleeing for the exits. The Globemaster III from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state arrived at the Kabul airport with equipment to help evacuate Americans and Afghans seeking refuge.

“Before the aircrew could offload the cargo, the aircraft was surrounded by hundreds of Afghan civilians who had breached the airport perimeter,” Stefanek said. “Faced with a rapidly deteriorating security situation around the aircraft, the C-17 crew decided to depart the airfield as quickly as possible.”

The jet taxied through the crowd and escaped. When the crew landed at Al Udeid Air Base, a U.S. military hub in Qatar, human remains were discovered in the compartment that holds the plane’s landing gear after it retracts.

Can’t say I blame that crew one bit. From that cockpit and/or rear door you’d be facing the real possibility of losing the aircraft to the mob or worse. If this is the same one that I linked to yesterday that took some 600-plus people out, then they did the absolute best they could, above and beyond actually, with a terrible situation.

Daily Mail has some horrific video of the person in question. Here’s the link for those morbidly curious. Daily Mail also have a lot of photos of the situation on the ground. It looks like a lot of US military gear (or at least sourced from us) was left behind. Seemingly intact, but here’s hoping firing pins have been removed.

A hat-tip to MarineDad for also pointing us to this story.

Category: Afghanistan, Air Force, Biden, Guest Link

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Ret_25X

“We’re going to investigate”…really means, “we have decided to railroad this flight crew so that no General Officers are blamed for the complete lack of security around the aircraft”

sj

^^^Word.

Cowpill

My opinion only, but F**k the Joe Biden administration for putting the aircrew in the position to make that decision in the first place, and F**k The Pentagon leadership for being inept.

QMC

I assure you, you’re not alone in that opinion.

Roh-Dog

Throwing my hat in all the above rings.

Our military’s leadership is looking more and more every day like a People’s Army.

Fk them all with cacti covered in hot sauce.

Eric (The OC Tanker)

In 1990, as my USAER/7th Army, 5th Corps, 8ID (M) Armored Battalion was in the process of being deactivated, promises were made. “No more Task Force Smith’s”. Which begs the question: “was I and my fellow tankers lied to?”

Graybeard

By everyone from the Recruiter on, Eric.

Eric (The OC Tanker)

I was a recruiter. I lied to no person.

(Probably why I didn’t make mission often.)

Hatchet

An incredibly brave Crew. My sympathies to the crew for the choices they had to make – aircrew/passenger safety or civilians on the ground. Not sure what medals they’d qualify for but think some consideration should be given to it. Evacuation? A complete goat-fuck is more like it…

Anonymous

Skippy

Talk about no planning
Great job DOD
I guess being woke was more important

Anonymous

Danang, April ’75… not much changes:

Anonymous

Sapper3307

Just imagine the Combat Awards that crew can put in for!

Milo Mindbender

Our policy should have been “Denial of Assets” if we left anything it should have been scrap metal. At least lay the weapons out on the MSR outbound and then drive over them.

Roh-Dog

Giant fire. Once the heat treatment is taken out it’s a time bomb/hand grenade

Besides, this was the plan: 2A for the Taliban, lock downs and masks for we.

KoB

Some dumbasses did something stoopid. An Air Crew made sure they saved a very valuable aircraft, cargo, and crew. You get a medal, you get a medal, everybody gets a medal. End of investigation.

This was NOT the same aircraft that transported the 600 + from the other linky. (per the article)

Eric (The OC Tanker)

At least there wont be and ‘boat people’./s

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Aircraft flying over the atlantic ocean coming into JFK Airport are supposed to put the landing gear down while over the ocean nearing JFK. Way before I retired, There were two incidents like a mile apart over Island Park LI, NY where one let the landing gears down over a parking lot next to Reynolds channel and another one let them down near a boat yard into the drink and then one let the wheels down over renyolds channel and the body landed in Long Beach Hospitals rear road. We were called by LBPD to light up the area while awaiting Nassau County Detectives. Had to sign into a log book since it was a crime scene. Nice splatter of parts on the hospital walls. Guy was from down South America way. County Morgue van shows up and the guy asks if we had a wet vac on board which got a chuckle from us. County PD Emergency Services boat crew shows up from the channel water and one of the officers climbs up the ladder and tells us that if the incident took place a little later while he was fishing, the remains would have been a nice chum attraction. Another chuckle. The graveyard humor was great that night.

26Limabeans

I recall someone surviving in the nose gear well about that time period
which may have sparked others to try. Watching the latest desperate
attempts to flee Kabul are a stark reminder of what people will do to be free.
Dark humor is a salve to us vets and others who have had to deal with horror.
And TAH is a great “watering hole” for us to share….

timactual

” a stark reminder of what people will do to be free”

Evidently anything but fight.

Anonymous

Democrats (and their cronies) prefer boot-licking and courting favor.

Ex-PH2

Anyone besides me remember the boat people and how Carter treated them?

Martinjmpr

The aircrew just did what that song from 2001 told them to do:

LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR!

.
.
.
.
.

What, too soon?

11B-Mailclerk

They ain’t gonna stowaway no more….

Roh-Dog

Gory, gory, what a hell ofa way to die

Anonymous

Free fallin’…

26Limabeans
Hack Stone

This all could have been prevented if only those on the flight line were wearing their reflective PT belts. Where’s the Sergeant major to enforce discipline when you need him?

26Limabeans

And the lack of FOD training is obvious.

Sparks

There is no way the flight crew can see the wheel wells from the cockpit nor from the rear door, which is closed for takeoff. And I am sure the flight crew was busy with what was in front of them, not behind and the crew chiefs were busy with the flight and managing the people and not sightseeing.

Investigation my ass.

26Limabeans

Cleanup on runway two niner zero…

Hack Stone

Hack Stone hated doing a police call on the MCCES Grinder out in 29 Stumps, can you imagine having to do a police call on the flight line?

“Hey, Schmuckatelli, how about giving us a hand here?”

“Sure, no problem. Do you need anything else? I have a few legs, and what looks like was once someone’s ear.”

11B-Mailclerk

C’mon man!

No guts, no gory.

Blaster

So, what are they going to find out on this investigation? The poor soul (BTW, what a terrible way to die) tried to hitch a ride on the outside of a C-17? It’s not like the crew could see him down there. What were they supposed to do, sit there until the plan was destroyed? Wait till one of the Taliban sleepers snuck up with a bomb, grenade, etc?

Like I said before, there sure are a lot of “men” leaving the country. By the DoS estimate of who wants out, they could build 2 brigades of Soldiers.

Fyrfighter

yep, very easily could have been a redux of this

https://youtu.be/Fxpp8dn61f0

Berliner

Pilot-in-Command was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He did save 640 souls along with his crew. Medal(s) deserved, in my opinion.

“Hitch-hikers” took a chance riding on the wheel housing.

Anonymous

There was no warning label for retards:

“Warning: Airplane may be hazardous to your dumb ass if misused.”

ninja

UPDATE With Pictures:

“Pictured: Afghan Football Player, 19, Who Died Trying To Cling To Landing Gear Of US Evacuation Flight In Desperate Attempt To Escape The Taliban”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9908157/Afghan-football-player-19-died-trying-cling-landing-gear-evacuation-flight.html

“A former Afghan national youth team footballer died when he became trapped in the landing gear of a US evacuation flight in a desperate attempt to flee the Taliban, it emerged today.”

“The remains of Zaki Anwari, 19, were discovered in the wheel well of a US C-17 transport jet when it arrived in Qatar after taking off from Kabul with despairing Afghans clinging to the fuselage on Monday.”

“Anwari’s death was confirmed by the General Directorate of Physical Education & Sports of Afghanistan, Arian News reported on Thursday.”