New Palmdale Mom, 27, Killed In Central Asia Air Force Tanker Plane Crash

PALMDALE (CBSLA.com) — A Palmdale mother of a seven-month-old son was one of three airman killed in a Central Asia tanker plane crash Friday.

The tanker was supporting American troops in Afghanistan.

Capt. Victoria "Tori" A. Pinckney, 27, was killed in the crash of a KC-135 tanker near Chon-Aryk, Krygyzstan, the Defense Department announced.

KKTV, a Colorado Springs CBS affiliate, reports that Pinckney was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and recent mom.

She was one of three airmen in a KC-135 refueling plane that crashed in the mountains after a midair explosion during a refueling operation, the Pentagon announced.

The Pentagon said two other airmen were also killed: Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, of Boerne, Texas, and Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield. All three were attached to the Air Force's 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild AFB in Washington state.

A wing commander at Fairchild told KREM television in Spokane that the loss has devastated the base.

"We will forever honor Tyler, Tori and Tre as patriots and heroes," the commander said. "Team Fairchild will do everything we can to support their families and friends during this profoundly difficult time."

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