An American weapons systems officer whose F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran in April detailed his survival and rescue in an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS News' "60 Minutes."
The airman, identified only by his mission call sign "Bravo" for security reasons, described the moment his aircraft was struck. "I think the best way I've been able to describe that moment was getting hit by a freight train," he told correspondent Norah O'Donnell.
Bravo's parachute sustained damage in the initial attack. As he fell through the air, he attempted to deploy and separate the damaged sections. "When I looked up and saw no parachute — that was the most, it was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen," he said. "So I paused right then, and I prayed, 'Lord, your will be done. But if I'm getting through.'"
The ejection and fall resulted in multiple injuries. Bravo sustained fractures to his back, arm, and shoulder, along with an ankle sprain and wounds to his head and face. Despite these injuries, he managed to evade approaching Iranian forces after ejecting from the aircraft.
Bravo scaled a ridgeline approximately 7,000 feet high to avoid capture. He was equipped with minimal survival gear: a pistol, a communication device, and a tracking beacon. After locating a position where he felt secure, he attempted to establish contact using his available equipment.
The U.S. military operation that followed resulted in his rescue. Bravo's account marks the first detailed public description of the incident and the survival efforts that preceded his recovery.