US rescues pilot missing from downed F-15E in Iran after daring flight
A missing F-15E crew member was rescued in Iran in a brave operation after 48 hours behind enemy lines. The CIA reportedly used a deception campaign involving a naval package to disrupt Iranian forces. The pilot, a highly respected colonel, survived being hit by a surface-to-air missile, climbed into a crevasse on a high mountain, and launched an emergency rescue. President Trump personally ordered the most dangerous operation.
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Shot down in enemy territory and forced to flee capture, the American plane’s survival highlights the advanced training that prepares pilots for the worst, says a former Air Force pilot.
“As an F-16 pilot, I will tell you that the last thing we do before we take the step to fly a fighter is to talk briefly about the CSAR mission and understand what will happen if we have to get out of that plane,” Lt. Col. Dan Rooney told “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“And we have a motto, ‘Always be prepared so you don’t prepare,'” he said.
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 31: Lt Col Dan Rooney, USAF speaks on stage at the ACM ‘Salute To The Military’ concert presented by NRA Country at the ACM EXPO Country Thunder Outdoor Stage at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on March 31, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jerod Harris/ACMA2012/Getty Images for ACM)
US forces have rescued a US weapons system officer who was missing from an F-15E that crashed in Iran following a days-long search of enemy territory as Iranian forces simultaneously searched the area.
The pilot, who also ejected from the plane in Khuzestan province, was rescued on Friday morning.
President Donald Trump hailed the recovery effort as an “Easter miracle.”
Rooney said pilots are trained to survive and escape extreme situations, including being shot down behind enemy lines.
TRUMP CALLS REUNION OF DOWNED AIR PILOT ‘EASTER MIRACLE’
President Donald Trump addresses the nation at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 1, 2026. (Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP BRIEFLY ON F-15 FIGHTER JET DOWN IN IRAN
“We are very determined to escape and put ourselves in a position to be rescued,” he said.
In such cases, Rooney explained, dismounted airmen are trained to move quickly after being ejected, avoid crowded areas and remain as hidden as possible while awaiting recovery power.
They are also trained to reach places where rescue can be easily found.
“Be small, be quiet, be high, to be saved,” Rooney said, explaining the basic principles of survival.
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Those tactics, he said, are critical in the hours and days following an ejection, when a downed pilot is at greater risk and must avoid detection while awaiting rescue efforts.
“It’s a race against time these days,” Rooney said.
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“And we thank God that we won that race,” he said.
Fox News’ CJ Womack contributed to this report.
