Air Force Captain Killed in Iraq Crash ‘Died Doing the One Thing She Loved the Most—Flying’
A U.S. Air Force captain killed in a military refueling crash in western Iraq is being remember as fierce, brave and passionate.
Capt. Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington, was one of three airmen who were members of a historic Alabama-based squadron killed in the March 12 KC-135 Stratotanker crash during Operation Epic Fury that took six lives.
“Her smile will live on,” according to a GoFundMe created for her family.
Savino, Maj. John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, and Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, were members of the co-located 99th Refueling Squadron, which is located at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham.
The squadron shares resources, space, manpower, and infrastructure with the Alabama National Guard’s 117th Air Refueling Squadron.
“We take comfort in knowing that Ariana died doing the one thing she loved the most—flying,” Savino’s family said in a statement released to KOMO News and other media outlets.
“Her smile would brighten every room she walked into, and her energy and laughter were nothing short of contagious.”
They described Savino as “fierce, brave, passionate,” adding that she was deeply loved by everyone she encountered.
Savino’s family said she dedicated her life to aviation and military service.
Savino was a graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Central Washington University.
She commissioned in the U.S. Air Force in September 2017, originally serving as a navigator on the E-8 JSTAR aircraft prior to flying the KC-135.
“She was a dependable leader who knew how to look out for her fellow Airmen; a dedicated friend; devoted sister and best friend to Kelaia and Zevin, and loving mom to her dogs, Zoey and Piper, who were her whole world,” according to the GoFundMe.
The family said they plan to use a portion of money raised to go toward establishing a scholarship fund supporting Latina women in aviation - something Ariana was passionate about.
Donations can be made here.
Klinner, a husband, father of three and 2016 Auburn University graduate, was the Chief of Squadron Standardizations and Evaluations at the 99th Air Refueling Squadron in Birmingham.
Klinner entered the Air Force in 2017 through Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps from Auburn University.
“On March 12, our world shattered,” his wife, Libby, posted on Instagram.
“I’m devastated to lose the best person I know, the person that made everything more fun, my best friend. But even more so, my heart is broken for our three kids who will grow up not knowing him,” Libby wrote.
“They won’t see how goofy and funny he was. They won’t witness his selflessness, the way he thought about everyone else before himself. They won’t get to feel the deep love he had for them. He was an incredible person and husband, but he was the best dad.”
A GoFundMe created for Klinner’s wife and children has already raised more than $1.2 million. Donations can be made here.
Pruitt, of Bardstown, Kentucky, and was “very, very” proud of her military career, her husband Gregory Pruitt said Sunday.
“I’ll give you something brief -– in a word, radiant,” he said on a phone interview, trying to hold back tears. “If there was a light in the room, she was it.”
Survivors include the couple’s 3-year-old daughter and Sgt. Pruitt’s stepson.
Pruitt entered the Air Force in May 2017 and completed Career Enlisted Aviator training in February 2018 followed by the Initial Boom Operator course in July 2021.
Pruitt was described as a leader who cared deeply about the airmen she worked with.
“More than anything, Ashley loved her family,” according to a GoFundMe created for her. Donations can be made here.
The other three Ohio-based airmen killed were Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Ind.; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
The aircraft was in “friendly” airspace, supporting operations against Iran, when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft occurred on Thursday, according to U.S. Central Command. The other plane landed safety, U.S. military officials said.
The KC-135 aircraft refuels other planes in midair, allowing them to fly longer distances and sustain operations without landing. The plane also can be used to transport wounded personnel and conduct surveillance missions, according to military experts.
The crash is being investigated.
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