CNN previously reported that the U.S. Air Force Bureau of Investigation had opened an investigation and that the crew decided to take off due to the deteriorating security situation at the airport after hundreds of Afghans violated the perimeter and surrounded the C-17. “The aviation capability and quick thinking of the crew ensured the safety of the crew and their aircraft. After seeking appropriate care and services to help deal with any injuries from this unprecedented experience, the crew returned to flight mode,” he said. the U.S. Air Force on Monday. Thousands of Afghans were desperate to flee the country following the Taliban occupation of Kabul a day earlier. The civilians rushed to the airport asphalt and the video at that time showed civilians clinging to military transport planes as they took off. The Biden administration has come under intense scrutiny over its handling of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and questions about why evacuation efforts did not begin once the Taliban gained more territory across the country. President Joe Biden defended his decision to withdraw US troops from the country and called the withdrawal a “great success.” CNN’s Oren Liebermann contributed to this report.
