A Harrowing Race Against Time to Find a Downed U.S. Airman in Iran - The New York Times

For the Iranians, the Air Force colonel whose fighter jet had been shot down was possible leverage. For the U.S. military, finding him was a moral imperative. By Greg JaffeHelene CooperEric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes Reporting from Washington The two crew members ejected from their fighter jet just seconds after it was hit by Iranian fire. The F-15E Strike Eagle, the first fighter jet lost to enemy fire in the war, crashed violently to the ground. The Air Force officers were deep in hostile territory on Friday morning, alone and armed only with pistols. The plane’s pilot was in “constant communication” with his unit and rescued about six hours later by a force that included attack planes and helicopters that came under heavy fire, military officials said. But the aircraft’s weapons systems officer was missing. In the chaos of the ejection — a violent, lifesaving maneuver — he had become separated from the pilot, setting off a vast search that became the primary focus for the U.S. mil

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