Air Force captian killed in plane crash identified as Covington, WA native
Covington native, Air Force captain killed in Iraq plane crash remembered
The Covington community is mourning Air Force Capt. Ariana Savino, one of six service members killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. Savino, a Kentwood High School graduate and Central Washington University ROTC alum, served as a pilot with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron and logged more than 300 combat hours during deployments in the Middle East.
Over the weekend, the Pentagon identified the six Air Force members who died last week when a refueling plane involved in the war with Iran. Among the members killed was Covington native Capt. Ariana G. Savino.
The KC-135 aircraft crashed Thursday in western Iraq during an incident involving two aircraft in "friendly airspace." The other plane landed safely.
What we know:
Savino, 31, was a pilot with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, serving as its chief of current operations. She was responsible for the flying hour program and managing daily flight scheduling, among other duties.
Savino, from Covington, was a Kentwood High School graduate and a product of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Central Washington University, earning an active duty commission in 2017.
Savino's family released this statement to FOX 13 Seattle over the weekend:
"We take comfort in knowing that Ariana died doing the one thing she loved the most—flying. Her smile would brighten every room she walked into, and her energy and laughter were nothing short of contagious. She was fierce, brave, passionate, and deeply loved by everybody she crossed paths with during her short time on earth.
She dedicated her life to a career she loved and made it her mission to be a role model for not only her brothers and sisters who served alongside her, but also the next generation of youth, women and minorities with their hearts set on a career in aviation. In the coming months, we will be honoring her memory with an aviation scholarship for women and Latino youth.
We find comfort in hearing stories from her friends, family, and anybody whose life she touched along her journey. We invite everybody to continue sharing their memories of her.
We also ask that you keep not only our family, but the family, friends, and loved ones of others involved in this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.
Ariana’s spirit will live on forever in the skies that she cherished."
She served at bases in Georgia and Mississippi and had more than 300 combat hours. She was made captain in 2021.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Pentagon, The Associated Press, previous FOX Local reporting and original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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