Same US Pilot Shot Down Twice Over Iran

A US Air Force pilot whose F-15E Strike Eagle was mistakenly shot down by allied forces at the start of the war was later downed again during a combat mission over Iran, CBS News reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with both incidents.

The pilot was among six crew members who safely ejected after three F-15E fighter jets were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait by Kuwaiti air defenses in the early days of the conflict.

Just over 30 days later, the same pilot was flying a mission over Iran when the aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile on April 3, forcing a second ejection.

According to CBS News, the pilot sustained serious injuries but was rescued after several hours. The aircraft’s second crew member remained in hiding for nearly two days before being recovered.

“The courage demonstrated by both the pilot and the weapons system officer while isolated and evading the enemy cannot be overstated,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said following the rescue operation.

“Their grit and warfighting tenacity is a direct result of the absolute trust they have in our rescue forces, their training and their will to survive and return.”

The Pentagon referred questions to US Central Command, which declined to comment on the report.

“Like getting hit by lightning twice”

The pilot’s involvement in two separate shootdowns during the same campaign is considered exceptionally rare.

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Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, former principal attack planner for Operation Desert Storm and now dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said he could not recall a similar case in recent US military history.

“It is a highly unusual coincidence,” Deptula told CBS News. “It’s like getting hit by lightning twice.”

He added that a comparable example may not have occurred since the Vietnam War.

The pilot’s identity has not been publicly disclosed.

The case was first highlighted by national security journalist Sean Naylor, who described it as one of the most unusual stories to emerge from the ongoing war in Iran.