U.S. plane shot down in Iraq, pilot safe

Reuters | 4/08/03

[kattracks]

U.S. plane shot down in Iraq, pilot safe

AS SAYLIYA CAMP, Qatar, April 8 (Reuters) - A U.S. A-10 Warthog ground attack fighter was shot down near Baghdad Airport on Tuesday but the pilot was safely rescued, officials at Central Command war headquarters said.

"We had one A-10 aircraft conducting a close air-support mission at low altitude in support of ground troops...and we believe that it was hit by surface-to-air missile fire," Brigadier General Vincent Brooks told a news briefing in Qatar.

"The pilot was immediately recovered and is safely back in coalition control."

A Central Command statement said the pilot had ejected was believed to be in good health.

A-10 planes were pounding Iraqi anti-aircraft positions close to the airport on Tuesday morning.

04/08/03 07:59 ET

[jazzman0718]

WARTHOG DOWN! Oh. That doesn't sound as good as "Blackhawk Down". I guess we won't be hearing more "entertaining" news on this one. Run along and find news that sounds more like movies all ye objective journalists!

[laz17]

There must still be some Russian military advisors helping the Iraqis.

[ctdonath2]

Warthog disgruntled?

[spodefly]

It should not be said that it was "shot down" ... perhaps, "experienced a forced diminution of aerodynamic efficacy" would be more PC.

[American Soldier]

Warthog is a tough airframe... I admire the Warthog pilots who are willing to get up close with that thing. Among the ground personnel, Warthog pilots seem to be about the most respected flyboys.

I've heard rumors that the Air Force is thinking about scrapping the A-10 for close air support and just changing the armaments on one of the fighter airframes... I really hope they don't do this. A fighter wouldn't loiter enough and those things cannot take a punch. This pilot would probably be dead now if he had been in a delicate fighter airframe.

[finnman69]

So that means the A-10 lost both wings and both engines otherwise it would have made it back.

[Tommyjo]

The Iraqi's were shooting down A-10s in 91 with AAA and MANPADS. Many made it back to base with heavy damage, but like in this case, if the pilot decides it's time to punch out - the aircraft really is unrecoverable.