The officer, identified by his mission call sign “Bravo,” told ‘60 Minutes’ correspondent Norah O’Donnell that his survival was a “modern-day miracle”
Credit: 60 Minutes/Youtube; Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- One of the two U.S. Air Force officers whose fighter jet was shot down over Iran in April has spoken out about the experience
- The officer, identified by his mission call sign “Bravo,” recalled “free-falling” toward the ground after his parachute was damaged
- Bravo, who was saved by two Air Force pararescue operators, described his survival as a “modern-day miracle”
A U.S. airman whose fighter jet was shot down over Iran in April has recalled the ordeal in a new interview, describing his survival as a “modern-day miracle.”
The officer, identified only by his mission call sign “Bravo”, appeared on CBS News’ 60 Minutes on Sunday, Sept. 13, to discuss the experience — which left him stranded in the Iranian desert with multiple broken bones.
Bravo was the weapons systems officer aboard an F-15E fighter jet with the mission call sign Dude 44 when it was shot down over central Iran on April 2, 2026. Piloting the aircraft was another officer with the call sign “Alpha.”
Credit: 60 Minutes/Youtube
Speaking to correspondent Norah O’Donnell, Bravo said he felt like he’d been “hit by a freight train” when an Iranian shoulder-fired missile hit the jet, and said he will be thankful to his “dying day” for Alpha, who hit the eject button.
Alpha was able to safely eject and was rescued before Bravo, and is already back flying for the Air Force, per CBS News. Bravo experienced a far more difficult landing, however, as his parachute had been damaged by the impact of the missile, which left him “free-falling” toward a remote, mountainous area.
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“When I looked up and saw no parachute, that was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen,” Bravo told 60 Minutes. “So I paused, right then, and I prayed, ‘Lord, your will be done. But if I’m getting through this, I need help.’ ”
Bravo broke his back, an arm and a shoulder after hitting the ground at a speed thought to be between 70 and 100 mph.
He then had to hide behind enemy lines for two days without food or water, climbing a 7,000-foot ridgeline to avoid capture, before help arrived in the form of two Air Force pararescue operators. Shortly after Bravo’s rescue, Donald Trump said the officer hid in a mountain crevice, adding that he would be “just fine” despite his injuries.
Credit: Hum Images/Universal Images Group via Getty
Speaking to 60 Minutes, Bravo said it was a “modern-day miracle” that he survived.
“I believe that it’s a testament to God’s provision in my life to bring me through that moment in a way that didn’t prevent injuries, but prevented any catastrophic injuries that would have affected my ability to survive,” he added.
The 60 Minutes segment on the search and rescue operation also included interviews with Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the U.S. Central Command, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — who was woken up in the middle of the night with the news of the incident — and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.
Alpha declined to be interviewed, citing security considerations. In a statement given to 60 Minutes, via CBS News, he expressed gratitude for the rescue specialists, adding, “Words cannot capture how thankful my family and I are and how proud I am to serve alongside each and every one of them.”
PEOPLE reached out to the U.S. Central Command for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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