What pilots do when shot down as US races to find airman

Iran and the United States are in a tense race to recover a missing U.S. airman after Tehran shot down an F‑15 fighter jet inside Iranian airspace on Friday.

Newsweek contacted U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) via email for comment outside of regular working hours. 

Why It Matters

The incident marks the first confirmed loss of a US fighter jet inside Iran since the war began. It underscores how far the conflict has spread and how quickly it can escalate.

What To Know

Iranian and American forces were racing Saturday to recover a crew member from a US F‑15 fighter jet shot down inside Iran, the first such loss of the war. 

Tehran said its air defenses destroyed the aircraft, while U.S. media reported one of the two crew members had been rescued, with the other still missing.

Iran’s military claimed the jet was brought down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ aerospace force while flying over central Iranian airspace. State television aired images of wreckage and said searches were continuing.

An Iranian television reporter said anyone who captured a U.S. crew member alive would receive a “valuable reward,” adding urgency to the American effort to locate the missing airman.

The downing came more than a month into a conflict that erupted after U.S.‑Israeli strikes on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, triggering retaliation that spread across the Middle East. 

The war has disrupted global markets, driven up energy prices and drawn in multiple regional actors.

CENTCOM did not immediately comment on the F‑15 loss, though the White House confirmed President Donald Trump had been briefed. 

Trump later said the incident would not affect negotiations with Iran, describing the situation bluntly as wartime reality.

Iranian officials also claimed a U.S. A‑10 ground‑attack aircraft was downed in the Gulf, though U.S. media reported the pilot was rescued. 

The U.S. military has acknowledged losing several aircraft during operations against Iran, including a tanker that crashed in Iraq and three F‑15s downed earlier by friendly fire.

How Pilots Try To Survive After Being Shot Down

For a pilot shot down behind enemy lines, the shock comes first—then training takes over.

“You’re like, ‘Oh my God, I was in a fighter jet two minutes ago, flying 500 miles an hour, and a missile just exploded, literally 15 feet from your head,’” said retired brigadier general Houston Cantwell, a former US Air Force pilot who now works at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and has flown more than 400 combat hours, including operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cantwell said pilots rely on Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training—known as SERE—almost immediately after ejecting. Even while descending by parachute, decisions are already being made.

“Your best view of where you may want to go or where you may want to avoid is while you’re coming down in your parachute,” he said.

Getting to the ground safely is not guaranteed. Cantwell warned that ejections often result in serious injuries, including broken legs or ankles. 

“There are many stories of survivors from Vietnam that had severe injuries—compound fractures—just from the ejection,” he said.

Once on the ground, the first task is self‑assessment. “Take an inventory of yourself to figure out: what condition am I in? Can I even move? Am I even mobile?” Cantwell said. From there, the focus shifts to evasion. 

Pilots work out whether they are behind enemy lines, where they might hide and how they can communicate without being detected. 

“Try to avoid enemy capture, as long as you can,” Cantwell said. 

In harsh environments, basic survival needs come into play. “If I were in a desert environment, I’d want to try to find some water,” he added.

Above all, concealment is key. “My priority would be, first of all, concealment, because I don’t want to be captured,” Cantwell said. “I want to try to get to a location where I can get extracted.”

That location depends on the terrain. “In a city, that may be a rooftop. In a rural setting, a field where helicopters can land,” he said, adding that moving under cover of darkness offers the best chance of staying hidden. 

Cantwell also noted that when he flew combat missions, he carried a pistol.

What Is Combat Search And Rescue?

Combat Search and Rescue, known as CSAR, refers to military operations designed to locate and recover personnel in hostile or contested environments.

Unlike humanitarian rescues or disaster responses, CSAR missions take place under the threat of enemy fire and often deep inside opposing territory. 

Timing is critical, as hostile forces are usually searching for the same personnel.

The US Air Force leads these missions using highly trained pararescue jumpers, known as PJs, who operate alongside helicopters, refuelling aircraft and fighter jets providing cover.

Pararescue teams are trained not only as combat operators but also as paramedics. 

Their role includes locating isolated personnel, providing emergency medical care and coordinating extraction under fire.

CSAR operations typically involve helicopters such as Black Hawks, with crews prepared to land, fast‑rope or even parachute into hostile areas if needed. 

Once contact is made, teams assess injuries, evaluate threats and decide whether to treat on the ground or extract immediately.

Experts describe the missions as among the most dangerous in modern warfare.

Inside The Rescue Effort

While a downed pilot works to stay hidden, U.S. combat search and rescue teams are already mobilising.

“Before any operations are conducted … there is always a CSAR plan,” said Scott Fales, a retired master sergeant and pararescue jumper who played a key role in the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” battle in Mogadishu.

Fales said teams wait on constant alert whenever U.S. aircraft operate over hostile territory. As soon as a pilot goes missing, intelligence collection begins at scale.

“Everything from human intelligence to imagery intelligence to, you know, all the different drones we have looking—signals intelligence,” he said. “It’s all being used to try to find this guy.”

Once a location is narrowed down, plans are drawn up inside the rescue helicopters as they fly. 

“Those gunners are spotting and looking for threats, the pilots are looking for a place to land, we’re reaching out to that downed aviator,” Fales said. On the ground, teams move quickly to confirm identity and assess risk. 

“What kind of immediate threat are we in? How much time do we have to get this person out? What kind of injuries do they have?” Fales said. “Then we’ll make up our mind on the type, amount of treatment that’s needed on the scene—or do we just grab and go depending on the threat?”

With one U.S. crew member still unaccounted for in south‑west Iran, Fales said he remained hopeful. 

“I’m hoping that friendly people have found him and are hiding him,” he said. “Or he’s still evading.”

What People Are Saying

Asked by The Independent in a brief phone call what would happen if the pilot is captured or harmed by Iranians, President Donald Trump said: “Well, I can’t comment on it because—we hope that’s not going to happen.”

Asked by NBC if the F‑15 loss would affect negotiations with Iran, he said: “No, not at all. No, it’s war.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “The president has been briefed.”

A spokesperson for the Iranian military’s central operational command said: “An American hostile fighter jet in central Iranian airspace was struck and destroyed by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s advanced air defence system.”

They added: “The jet was completely obliterated, and further searches are ongoing.”

Mohammad Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, wrote on X: “After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from ‘regime change’ to ‘Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?’

“Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses.”

What Happens Next

Attention now turns to whether the missing crew member can be located before Iranian forces reach them. 

Developments in the search are likely to influence military operations, diplomatic messaging and the broader direction of a war that shows little sign of slowing.