An American Air Force colonel survived a high-speed ejection, severe injuries, and a 50-hour enemy manhunt behind Iranian lines after his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down on April 2, according to CBS News’ “60 Minutes” show, during an industrial strike mission near Isfahan.
The Missile Strike and the Descent
The two-man crew, operating under the mission call sign Dude 44, targeted industrial facilities tied to Iran’s drone and missile programs. U.S. Central Command leader Adm. Brad Cooper noted that while American forces held air superiority, the mission operated in a high-risk environment. The missile strike hit the aircraft with the force of a freight train, according to the outlet reported details of the crash.
The weapons systems officer, known by the call sign Bravo, and the pilot, Alpha, initially tried to save the aircraft before ejecting. While Alpha escaped safely, the missile damaged Bravo’s parachute. The malfunction sent him plunging toward the desert at speeds between 70 and 100 miles per hour, resulting in a fractured back, arm, and shoulder.
At one point when I looked up and saw no parachute, that was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen. So I paused, right then, and I prayed, ‘Lord, your will be done. Bravo, Weapons Systems Officer, via Fox News
The 50-Hour Manhunt in the Desert
Landing roughly five miles from Alpha, Bravo concealed his movement and began climbing toward a 7,000-foot ridgeline. Iranian ground forces actively searched the mountainous region, coming within several hundred meters of his position during the manhunt, according to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. Iranian media broadcast images of the wreckage, signaling an intense search for the downed crew.
Meanwhile, War Secretary Pete Hegseth recalled being awakened at midnight to the news that the jet had gone down. War Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that regardless of whether they were alive or not, they were going to go and get them, according to the report detailing the military response.
Alpha’s Extraction and the Second Rescue Operation
Alpha was rescued approximately six hours after the ejection during a perilous daylight mission. Hegseth described the extraction by noting that it was a gunfight all the way in and all the way out as U.S. helicopters faced incoming fire while recovering the pilot.
While Alpha made it out safely, rescue teams could not locate Bravo during the initial operation and were forced to withdraw. On the first night, Bravo managed to transmit a message confirming he was injured but mobile. Military officials evaluated a nighttime extraction, but ground conditions forced a delay.
CIA Intelligence and the Final Extraction
To secure Bravo’s rescue, the CIA deployed specialized deception operations and intelligence assets to track his coordinates. U.S. forces also struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps positions near the hiding area to clear the perimeter.
Cooper disclosed that the operation involved more than 90 ground troops entering Iran, marking a historic deployment. As the sun rose on Easter Sunday, roughly 50 hours after the shootdown, the rescue team reached Bravo. When rescuers finally made contact, the wounded colonel offered a direct directive reported by the network’s coverage of the event: Let’s go.
Operation Epic Fury and the Wider Conflict
The shootdown occurred during Operation Epic Fury, a monthlong conflict marked by heavy American airstrikes against Iranian military infrastructure. President Donald Trump hailed the mission as one of the most daring search-and-rescue operations in U.S. history.
During the final extraction phase, two U.S. aircraft became stuck in the sand on a makeshift desert airstrip. Military personnel destroyed the stranded helicopters and planes to prevent sensitive equipment from falling into Iranian hands, concluding an operation that avoided any reported U.S. casualties.