June 14 (UPI) -- The crew of a U.S. Air Force C-17 evacuating people from Kabul, Afghanistan, in August did not cause the deaths of civilians who clung to the plane, the Air Force concluded.
In a statement released Monday, the Air Force announced the results of an inquiry into the Aug.16 incident by the judge advocates of Air Mobility Command and U.S. Central Command.
The air crew "acted appropriately and exercised sound judgment in their decision to get airborne as quickly as possible," Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said. "This was a tragic event and our hearts go out to the families of the deceased."
Video footage showed hundreds of Afghan civilians swarming the cargo plane in August after they breached Hamid Karzai International Airport days after the Taliban toppled the U.S.-backed Afghan government following 20 years of war. As the crowd rushed the runway, the Air Force said the air crew decided to take off amid concerns over hostile intentions.
The aircrew "faced an unprecedented and rapidly deteriorating security situation," Stefanek said. And the crew's "airmanship and quick thinking ensured the safety of the crew and their aircraft."
Video footage showed the jet taxi down the runway and lift off into the air as people fell from the outside. Human remains were found inside the landing gear after the plane touched down at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Air Force investigators with the Office of Special Investigations impounded the aircraft to collect the remains and handed the scene off to "the host nation police, who declined further investigation," Stefanek said.
The AMC and CENCOM judge advocates "concurred" with Air Force investigators that the crew followed the rules of engagement "specific to the event and the overall law of armed conflict," Stefanek said.
In all, the Air Force evacuated more than 200,000 nationals and Americans out of Afghanistan between Aug. 14 and 25.