In a new account published five months after the incident, one of the two crew members of a U.S. F-15 shot down over Iran describes the moment of impact, the ejection, and his 50-hour evasion with severe injuries. The weapons systems officer, using the pseudonym 'Bravo', was interviewed for CBS's 60 Minutes, according to a report. He recalls being struck by a shoulder-fired missile, parachuting with a damaged canopy, and climbing a 2,100-meter ridge with a broken back and arm after landing about 8 km from the pilot 'Alpha'.
In a new interview aired on CBS's 60 Minutes Monday, the weapons systems officer of a U.S. F-15 shot down over Iran, identified only as "Bravo," provided a harrowing firsthand account of being struck by a shoulder-fired missile, ejecting with a damaged parachute, and surviving 50 hours in Iranian territory with a broken back and arm. Bravo described climbing a 2,100-meter ridge after landing approximately 8 km from the pilot, "Alpha," according to the report.
The Zioneer initially reported on the 60 Minutes investigation earlier Monday at 03:51 Jerusalem time, detailing the previously classified rescue operation that involved over 90 U.S. special forces operatives extracting the pilot within eight hours. Today's interview adds Bravo's personal narrative to that account, including the moment of impact and his evasion while severely injured.
As The Zioneer reported at 15:48 Jerusalem, the incident occurred during Operation "Epic Fury" in April 2026. Upon surviving the crash, Bravo's first signal to commanders was "God is Good." General Dan Caine, who oversaw the rescue, noted that Iranian ground forces had closed to within a few kilometers of Bravo's position during his 50-hour evasion.
The full details of Bravo's physical condition and the exact timeline of his evasion remain based solely on his interview. Meanwhile, an earlier unverified report regarding a potential loss of an A-10C during the rescue operation has not been corroborated by official sources.
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