US fighter jet shot down over Iran, one crew member rescued, second still missing

The F-15E jet is flown by a two-member crew, and a search and rescue effort is ongoing for the other crew member

Published: April 3, 2026 9:59am

Updated: April 3, 2026 12:57pm

A U.S. F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran on Friday, resulting in a search-and-rescue mission in which one crew member has been recovered while the fate of the other remains unclear, according to news reports.

U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News that one airman has been recovered while the other remains missing.

The incident marks the first time in the five-week-long U.S.-Israel war with Iran in which an American fighter jet has been shot down. 

News about the downed plane emerged first Irania state TV news. And photos and videos soon after appeared on socia media showing what appeared to be at least one U.S. C-130 aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters flying low over central and southwest Iran in what was described as a possible effort to locate and recover the crew.

The anchor on the Iranian channel urged the public to turn over any “enemy pilot” to the police, and promised a reward for anyone who did. The channel is in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, which is a rural and mountainous region.

During the announcement, the channel showed metal debris in the back of a pickup truck, but provided no other immediate details.

Earlier, an on-screen crawl urged people to “shoot them if you see them,” referring to social media footage of what appeared to be U.S. aircraft in the area.

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