Almost the same time as an F-15E Strike Eagle went down over Iran, the U.S. Air Force lost an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials told NYT that the jet’s pilot was safely rescued.
While search and rescue efforts for at least one of the crew members of an apparently Lakenheath-based F-15E Strike Eagle that went down in unclear circumstances over Iran on Friday Apr. 3, 2026, anonymous U.S. officials have now revealed that an A-10 Thunderbolt II, commonly known as a Warthog, was also lost near the Strait of Hormuz around the same time. The single-seat A-10’s pilot was, according to the reports, successfully rescued.
BREAKING: A second Air Force combat plane, a A-10 Warthog, crashed in the Persian Gulf region on Friday, and the lone pilot was safely rescued. This happened around the same time a F-15E was shot down over Iran. By @EricSchmittNYT and @tylerpager. https://t.co/q369HMga3s pic.twitter.com/teOAek3M61
— Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) April 3, 2026
Given the stated location of the incident, the A-10 was most likely taking part in regular patrols targeting Iran’s fleet of small watercraft and drones that have essentially caused the Strait of Hormuz to be closed to almost all shipping traffic. We have reported on these missions previously, highlighting the utility of the aircraft and its weaponry in this role further away from potential air defence threats. Images released of the A-10s have shown crew-applied artwork and nicknames decorating the sides of the jets.
Little further detail is currently known about the A-10 crash, including whether it was as a result of mechanical failure, or hostile action.
The U.S. are in the process of moving additional A-10s into the region via RAF Lakenheath in the UK. Interestingly, while these aircraft have been transiting, the F-22 Raptors which had been deployed to Lakenheath presumably in anticipation for Middle East operations have in fact departed back towards the United States.
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawgs.
This is why I race to Lakenheath time and time again, you get some days that are complete gold and today was no exception. What a day. pic.twitter.com/LmcqHUdaZb
— Alexander Clover (@Cloverkid92) April 2, 2026
In addition to the F-15E and the A-10, there have also been unverified reports and images of a potential hit scored against a Black Hawk/Pave Hawk helicopter involved in combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations.
#BREAKING I’ve now confirmed the Blackhawk WAS hit by Iran. The crew is accounted for and is safe, a US official tells me. https://t.co/HHOotvPlyI
— Carla Babb (@CarlaBNewsmax) April 3, 2026
Elsewhere in the region, a U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon was noted on flight tracking websites squawking the 7700 ‘general emergency’ code over Saudi Arabia, near the border with Iraq, at around 1500 UTC, and the same was also noted of a KC-135 Stratotanker over Israel at around 1840 UTC.
#USAF United States Air Force – General Emergency 🚨
General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon 1x#AE161D 91-0361 – WARHAWK 01
A single U.S. Air Force F-16 is squawking 7700 “General Emergency” along the border of Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
The tail number shown on @flightradar24… pic.twitter.com/WJm18o5iBN
— Armchair Admiral 🇬🇧 (@ArmchairAdml) April 3, 2026
The reason for these emergency squawks is unknown, and they could represent anything from a minor mechanical issue or low fuel situation through to more serious problems – it should be noted that seeing these outside of an ongoing conflict is not particularly rare, but we have noted it due to the other incidents that have taken place today.
Operation Epic Fury’s intense operational tempo is sure to be pushing crews and their aircraft close to their limits, with aircraft flying many more flight hours than they would be in training, so an increased amount of mechanical issues and emergency squawks is not unexpected.
Update: Apr. 4, 2026
Since our initial report, it has been confirmed that the A-10 was in fact struck by hostile fire while operating in support of the F-15E CSAR mission. The pilot managed to maneuver the damaged jet into Kuwaiti airspace before ejecting and abandoning the aircraft. Ejecting in friendly airspace undoubtedly simplified the necessary rescue effort.
A U.S. official said that two Black Hawk helicopters sustained hits from Iranian forces, but both were able to subsequently land safely in friendly territory.
The pilot of the downed F-15E was successfully rescued by U.S. forces, but the weapon systems officer (WSO) – as it is currently understood – remains missing. It is reported that they initially made contact with U.S. forces through an encrypted radio.
The F-15E WSO survived the ejection and made contact. SAR still ongoing. Worth remembering that captain Scott O’Grady evaded capture for five plus days in hostile territory after his F-16C shoot down in 1995. https://t.co/bOuUnQhwTe
— Air-Power | MIL-STD (@AirPowerNEW1) April 3, 2026
If the WSO hasn’t already been found – and this simply hasn’t been announced by U.S. officials for one of many reasons (it may compromise embedded personnel or assets on the ground in Iran) – it seems unlikely that Iranian forces have captured them, as this would have significant propaganda value for Iran and would undoubtedly be announced through official channels as soon as possible.
