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The father of a U.S. airman, tragically killed in a military crash over Iraq earlier this month, has shared the poignant last words his son uttered just hours before his untimely death.
In a heart-wrenching revelation, Mylo Simmons recounted how his son, Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, expressed a chilling premonition during a phone call: “Dad, I don’t think I’m coming back from this.”
This emotional disclosure, broadcast during a television interview on Monday night, offered a glimpse into the deeply moving final exchange between a devoted father and his beloved only son.
During the interview with CNN, Mylo Simmons described his son’s composure, saying, “He was very calm, told me how much he loved me.” The sentimentality of the conversation was further underscored by Tyler’s affection for his dog, Grayson, which he asked his father to relay. “He was very insightful,” Mylo added, reflecting on the profoundness of their last conversation.
‘He told me to say he loved his dog, Grayson… and you know, he was very insightful.
‘Unfortunately he did tell me he didn’t think he was coming back,’ Simmons said. ‘And I told him, “I’m praying for you.”‘
Hours later, Simmons, 28, was among six US service members killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed over western Iraq during a mission supporting operations in the region.Â
US Central Command said the crash occurred in ‘friendly airspace’ following an unspecified incident involving two aircraft, adding that it was ‘not due to hostile or friendly fire.’Â
Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons’ father, Mylo Simmons, spoke publicly about a final phone call with his son hours before the crash
Simmons said his son remained calm and expressed love for his family during the conversation
Milo Simmons posted a photo standing along side his son on Veterans Day in 2020. ‘So Proud Of You Tyler. Thank You For Your Service!’, he wrote
The other aircraft landed safely and the cause remains under investigation.
For his father, the loss is almost too much to comprehend yet during the interview he remained calm and composed throughout, clinging to his faith and the knowledge that his son died doing what he loved.
‘I am a man of faith. Tyler was a man of faith,’ Mylo said of his son. ‘And I really was hoping that he was going to be wrong, but the solace that I have is he died doing what he loved doing.’
‘And I always shared with him, “Live life with no regrets.” And knowing Tyler, if he could do it all over again, he’d probably make the same decision because he loved what he did,’ his father added.
‘I mean, obviously no one wants to die and no one foresaw that or saw that coming, but Tyler was… oh, he was just an amazing son and it was my privilege to be able to be his father.’
Mylo told how Tyler had built his life around aviation.
His father described a young man driven by purpose, someone who had dreamed for years of becoming a boom operator – the critical role responsible for refueling aircraft mid-air – and who hoped one day to transition into a career as a commercial pilot.
‘The countless conversations that we had… he dreamed of being the boom operator, which is what he was doing,’ Mylo said. ‘And ultimately he wanted to retire as a boom operator and then become a commercial pilot – so he was very driven.’
Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons was an in-flight refueling specialist with the 121st Air Refueling Wing. He is seen here refuelsing a C-17 Globemaster during a teacher orientation flight at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio, in April 2023Â
A former track coach described Simmons as a ‘great young man’ who ‘always had a smile on his face and a huge energy about him’
 A family member of Simmons’ wrote on Facebook: ‘This loss has been heavy not just for our family, but for the many lives you touched and the love you left behind’
A family member said that Simmons, his parents’ only son, was his mother’s ‘world’ and she is ‘taking this so hard.’ ‘We love you forever, Ty,’ they said
‘You know, I frequently told him, “Don’t just talk about it, but be about it.” And that’s exactly what he did.’
Simmons, an Eastmoor Academy graduate from Columbus, was one of several National Guard airmen aboard the doomed aircraft.Â
His mother, Cheryl Simmons, previously described the moment uniformed officers arrived at their home to deliver the devastating news.
‘When he opened the door, he said, “Oh no,” and I jumped up and ran in there and they were lined up out on the porch,’ she said. ‘You got to be kidding me.’
She broke down in tears as she recounted the moment her only child was taken from her.
Other family members have also remembered him as loving, driven, and deeply devoted to those around him.
‘He loved his dog Grayson, he loved his family, his friends,’ one relative said. ‘He’s just that guy. He would do anything for you.’
A cousin recalled his unmistakable presence: a ‘million dollar smile’ that lit up every room he entered.
Simmons was an Eastmoor Academy graduate from Columbus who ‘proudly served’ in the United States Air Force
The KC-135 refueling plane went down earlier this month in ‘friendly airspace’. A second aircraft involved in the incident landed safely. Above, the second aircraft with damage to its tail
The airman’s mother, Cheryl Simmons, broke down in tears as she recalled the moment uniformed officers appeared at their home to deliver the heartbreaking news of his deathÂ
President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Dover Air Force Base,to attend the casualty return for the six crew members who died
Local politicians paid tribute to the fallen airman who was killed in a crash earlier this month
Public officials in Ohio have also paid tribute.Â
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said Simmons ‘proudly served’ his country, while state leaders described him and the other fallen airmen as heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The 121st Air Refueling Wing, to which Simmons belonged, said in a statement: ‘It is with a heavy heart that we share the tragic news of the passing of three Airmen from the 121st Air Refueling Wing.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and fellow Airmen who mourn their loss.’