A US Air Force weapons systems officer remains missing inside Iran as of Saturday morning following the shootdown of an F-15E Strike Eagle April 3.
The pilot of the downed jet was recovered by US special operations forces.
The fate of the second crew member – the weapons systems officer – is unknown, and neither the Pentagon nor US Central Command had issued a public statement as of Saturday.
A-10 and F-15E Shot Down In Last 48 Hours of Operation Epic Fury
The F-15E, assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron out of RAF Lakenheath in England, went down over Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in southwestern Iran.
Both crew members ejected. US forces recovered the pilot. The weapons systems officer has not been accounted for.
The rescue operation itself drew sustained Iranian fire.
An A-10 Warthog providing combat search-and-rescue support was reportedly hit near the Strait of Hormuz. The pilot is said to have flown the damaged aircraft to Kuwaiti airspace before ejecting and was safely recovered.
Reports say two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters involved in the recovery effort were also struck. Both aircraft returned to base. Indications are that crew members aboard were injured and received medical treatment.
Iranian state TV aired footage calling on civilians to help locate the crew.
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency announced a reward – reported by the BBC at roughly $60,000 – for anyone who handed over an American pilot alive.
Don’t miss that last word.
As prayers go up for all those in harm’s way, the purported “bounty” for the missing airman could be good news.
The last thing the remnants of the regime should want is a downed serviceman executed by locals – so it’s critical that they declared they want them alive.
What Remains Unclear
Reporting on how the F-15 went down remains inconsistent across outlets.
Fox News reported the A-10 simply "crashed" and did not report it came under fire or was part of a rescue mission. CBS and NBC both reported the Warthog took enemy fire during the search-and-rescue operation.
The exact sequence of events has not been officially confirmed.
The location of the missing weapons systems officer is unknown. Iranian state media has denied he has been captured. The governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province called US claims of a successful rescue "a tactic of the enemy."
Neither claim has been independently verified.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed President Trump had been briefed.
No further official comment followed.
Operation Epic Fury Casualties and Aircraft Losses to Date
The downed F-15E is the fourth of that type lost in Operation Epic Fury since the conflict began February 28, 2026. Three others were destroyed in a friendly fire incident over Kuwait on March 1 – all six crew members ejected safely.
Friday's losses mark the first time a crewed American aircraft has been shot down over enemy territory since an A-10 went down during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The day before the F-15 went down, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper assessed the campaign's progress. "We don't see their navy sailing," Cooper said Thursday. "We don't see their aircraft flying, and their air and missile defense systems have largely been destroyed."
As of March 31, 13 US service members have been killed and 365 wounded in Operation Epic Fury, according to CENTCOM. The US has also lost more than a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones over the course of the conflict.
The search for the missing airman is ongoing.
Sources:
- Michael Marrow and Ashley Roque, "US F-15E Fighter Jet Downed by Iran, Rescue Operations Underway," Breaking Defense, April 3, 2026.
- "F-15E Down in Iran, Rescue Operation Ongoing," The War Zone, April 3, 2026.
- "1 Pilot Rescued After F-15 Downed; Search Continues for Second Crew Member," Military.com, April 4, 2026.
- Joe Truzman and Bill Roggio, "Iran Downs US Fighter Jet, 1 Crew Member Recovered," FDD's Long War Journal, April 3, 2026.
- "Latest Operation Epic Fury Data: 365 US Troops Wounded in Action, 13 Dead," Military.com, April 4, 2026.
- "US F-15E Fighter Jet Shot Down Over Iran," Military Times, April 3, 2026.
