Indiana native and Purdue graduate among six killed in Iraqi military plane crash

An Indiana native and Purdue University graduate, Seth R. Koval, 38, was one of six service members killed when their refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq while supporting another aircraft. A Mooresville resident and Purdue alumnus, he served since 2006 in the Indiana National Guard before transferring to the Ohio Air National Guard in 2017, with 2,076 total flight hours (including 440 combat hours) and deployments in 2014, 2020, 2022, 2023 and this year. The crash’s cause is under investigation and not believed to be due to hostile fire; the Purdue community and state officials mourn his loss, and donations via GoFundMe were established for his family.