US A-10 hit during Iran rescue mission, pilot ejects and is rescued

A US Air Force A-10 was hit during combat operations tied to the widening war with Iran on April 3, 2026, with the pilot ejecting and later being rescued, according to multiple reports citing US officials. The incident unfolded as American forces were already mounting a search-and-rescue mission for the crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran the same day. 

CBS News reported that the A-10 was part of the rescue effort when it took fire and was damaged. According to US officials cited by CBS, the pilot ejected over the Persian Gulf and was successfully recovered. Air & Space Forces Magazine, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the A-10 was lost in the Persian Gulf region and that its pilot was rescued alive, though the precise details remained unclear. 

The bigger crisis centered on the F-15E, which Reuters and CBS said was shot down over Iran, prompting an urgent combat rescue operation. One of the F-15E’s two crew members was recovered, while the search for the second continued as of late Friday. CBS also reported that a helicopter involved in that mission was hit by small-arms fire, wounding crew members, but landed safely. 

Iranian state media separately claimed an A-10 had been hit by Iranian air defenses, though AP said it was not immediately clear whether Tehran was asserting a shootdown or some other form of damage. The Pentagon and US Central Command had not publicly provided a detailed accounting by late on April 3.

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