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Home  >  Afghanistan  >  640 Afghans Force Their Way Onto C-17 Evacuation Flight From Kabul
Afghanistan

640 Afghans Force Their Way Onto C-17 Evacuation Flight From Kabul

Matthew Klint Posted onAugust 17, 2021August 17, 2021 14 Comments

In a story that is simultaneously heartening and disheartening, 640 Afghans managed to evade security barriers and rush onboard the cargo hold of a U.S. military C-17 transport late Sunday. The group was allowed to stay onboard and evacuated to safety in Qatar.

640 Afghans Pictured Onboard C-17 Evacuation Flight From Kabul

The picture above tells us so much about the hopes and fears of so many Afghan people. The fact that eight people died yesterday trying to leave the country demonstrates just how serious moderate Afghans view the return of the Taliban.

The picture was anonymously provided by a U.S. Department of Defense official to Defense One.

Original estimates onboard pegged the number of “stowaways” at 800, but it was closer to 640. A U.S. Defense official noted that the crew made the decision to proceed with the refugees onboard, despite potential safety risks.

Although the C-17 is only designed to accommodate a fraction of the 640 passengers onboard, this evacuation flight did not even mark the highest passenger count on this jet. In 2013, a C-17 accommodated 670 people attempting to escape an oncoming typhoon in The Philippines.

An El Al Boeing 747-200 carried 1,088 people on a Boeing 747-200 from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport in May 1991 in a mission known as Operation Solomon. (the flight departed with 1,086 passengers but two babies were born in-flight).

You can listen to part of the air traffic control recording for the Reach 871 C-17 mission here:

Exact recording found here https://t.co/aPsylMRhS3

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 15, 2021

CONCLUSION

Historians documenting the fall of Kabul will have so many remarkable images to choose from, but the picture above stands out as a riveting image of hopes, dreams, fears, and the brutal reality of life in Afghanistan.

image: Defense One

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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14 Comments

  1. Rob Reply
    August 17, 2021 at 7:22 am

    Why aren’t they fighting to defend their country.

    It was fine for us to do it for them but after 20 years billions of dollars and how man thousands of American soldiers lives were lost 2 presidents have said enough is enough. Everyone of those people could have taken up arms against the taliban and defend their country. But no it’s easier to runaway.

    I’m glad we are done with that country.

    • Aaron Reply
      August 17, 2021 at 9:11 am

      Y’all screwed things up in the country, you really have no right to criticize how the people react to it all.

      • Jan Reply
        August 17, 2021 at 12:39 pm

        It’s been screwed long before the US came in, and when the Taliban came rushing back it will return to its screwed up state.

        The images are jarring and disturbing, but I think ultimately it is best to cut the cord, cold turkey. This shithole ain’t worth the trillions we burned.

    • Jorge Paez Reply
      August 17, 2021 at 6:16 pm

      You know Rob I had the same thought. If all the hundreds of thousands fleeing the country into Iran and Uzbekistan had fought the Taliban-what if?
      I can’t believe three presidents kept us there this long.
      It’s a state run by tribes, always has been, always will be. No cohesion. That’s why you can’t trust the Taliban leaders because they don’t control the tribes under them.
      What a waste of blood and treasure…..

      • Aaron Reply
        August 19, 2021 at 3:02 am

        “You know Rob I had the same thought. If all the hundreds of thousands fleeing the country into Iran and Uzbekistan had fought the Taliban-what if?”

        Considering how those fleeing didn’t have weapons, they probably would have been slaughtered.

    • 747always Reply
      August 18, 2021 at 1:20 am

      The USA has f*cked up enough countries around the world in order to stop the “communist menace”. The USA abandoned Afghanistan when the soviets left and has abaondoned it again.

  2. Kevin Reply
    August 17, 2021 at 8:17 am

    What about the Covids? The Delta variant? Where are the masks?!? Where is the social distancing? Oh the humanity…

    • Dublin Reply
      August 17, 2021 at 10:16 am

      Way to make light of a heart wrenching situation. Maybe you should count your lucky stars that you weren’t born there.

  3. Paolo Reply
    August 17, 2021 at 8:18 am

    I have mixed feelings about this: it’s unfortunate that it wasn’t possible to prioritise those who’ve worked on behalf of foreign forces/missions, in admin roles, as interpreters, advisors etc. they are most at risk from the incoming lunatics. It is hoped there’ll be many evacuation flights to follow.
    In one tragic episode of the evacuation flights from Saigon in 1975, a C-5 Galaxy loaded with orphans crashed trying to return to the airport after mechanical failure. More than 100 people died ( out of 350 or so), including the babies/young kids and accompanying personnel. It was part of Operation Babylift.

    • Paolo Reply
      August 17, 2021 at 8:29 am

      And one of the great, largely unsung, heroes of that airlift was Bob Macauley ( US businessman) who chartered a Pan Am 747 to evacuate remaining children , as the military couldn’t meet the need. He used his own money, mortgaging his house to fund it.

      • Tony Carlfeldt Reply
        August 18, 2021 at 9:00 am

        I know one of the “babies” that were evacuated. She celebrates the anniversary of the day of the evacuation every year as her “2nd Chance Birthday”

        She became the mother of two children and is happily married in California

  4. Ben Reply
    August 17, 2021 at 10:40 am

    Good to know that CDC waived covid mandates for air travel. Can we take off our masks on plane now also?

    • Aaron Reply
      August 17, 2021 at 4:58 pm

      Only if you are legitimately fleeing your country as a refugee. If not, man up, quit whining, and wear the mask.

  5. Jack Reply
    August 29, 2021 at 11:03 pm

    Countries like this will always be treated as the litterbox of the world by the hardcore Islamic groups like the Talaban no matter what developed country tries to change things there. They will always end up falling back on their old athoratarian islamic ways such as how they treat women and lunacy punnishments such as stoning people to death. I can’t say I blame most Afgans for wanting to run from there. I highly doubt the Talaban would maintain a western sense of freedom as some of them claimed. They are just to addicted to their religion and its old harsh ways.

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