A fighter pilot recalls the battle from the operation 20 years after the liberation of Iraq
A fighter pilot recalls the battle from the operation 20 years after the liberation of Iraq Retired Air Force Col. Kim Campbell, a pilot of the A-10 Warthog, was on a mission to protect troops from ground fire when his plane was hit by enemy fire while flying over Baghdad on April 7, 2003. Campbell immediately launched seven missiles at the enemy, hitting his target, but the plane was out of control. He had to use a manual reversal to land the plane safely. Campbell was recognized with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and completed more than 100 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan during his 24-year career.
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COLORADO SPRINGS — Retired Air Force Col. Kim Campbell shows off the tail section of his A-10 Warthog on display at his Colorado home. His plane never flew again after it was hit by enemy fire while flying over Baghdad on April 7, 2003.
“This is my plane,” Campbell said as he showed us a painting of his plane from the impact site. “That’s where it hit, that’s where it hit the middle section and then it sent debris into the fuselage and the tail section.”
The pilot, known by his call sign “KC,” which stands for “Killer Chick,” was on a mission to protect troops from ground fire in Baghdad. Only a few weeks have passed since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
This week marks 20 years since the beginning of Iraqi freedom. Tonight on News5 at 6 p.m., we have his insider’s perspective. Campbell’s A-10 Warthog was hit by enemy fire during a mission to Baghdad. He spoke with News5’s Dianne Derby about those scary moments and what it took to land his battle-damaged plane safely.
“Our friendly troops, which was the 3rd Infantry Division, were on the west side of the Tigris River, and then the enemy, the Iraqi Republican Guard, was on the east side of the Tigris River,” he said. “We actually saw rockets being fired at our troops.”
Campbell immediately launched seven missiles at the enemy, hitting his target.
“We made several passes with guns and rockets,” he said. “We also realized that this was a fairly high-risk situation. We were in the weather and we could see these gray and white plumes of smoke and bright flashes right next to us, so we knew they were shooting at us. Also, but we had a mission to accomplish.”
Seconds later, he was hit. The plane was out of control. The enemy was still firing at him.
“I pulled the stick back to try to climb and it didn’t work,” Campbell said.
Campbell had to use what is called a manual reversal.
“I was in this emergency backup system,” he said. “I had no hydraulics in the plane and it was really difficult to fly that plane. I’ve heard other pilots compare it to driving a dump truck or a semi truck without power steering.”
Campbell says the next hour was one of the most physically and mentally demanding of his life. His flying bullet, or wingman, flies beside him. She was his only eye telling him how to beat him. His thoughts wandered to the stories of three other pilots who had made similar landings. One didn’t make it.
“I hit it about 60 feet off the ground and that’s when the plane started to roll rapidly to the left and my heart was pounding at that point, I’m not sure what was going to happen,” he said. “This is the moment of ‘I’m going to crash?’ do i need to throw out What’s going to happen?” I just gave the stick a quick lift and luckily the plane went down. The main gear went down and the nose went down. It was a great sense of relief.”
Relief and fear that he made it out alive.
“I remember all these Navy firefighters were there to greet me and they were looking at me and looking at the plane,” Campbell said. “We were all in shock just to see that plane, dripping with hydraulic fluid and embers from the fire that came out at some point. It was just shocking that I was still able to fly.”
Campbell’s heroism was later recognized with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the nation’s highest award for extraordinary aerial achievement. https://www.afpc.af.mil/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/421931/distinguished-flying-cross/
“For me, the things that mean the most are the thanks from the ground troops and the letters I’ve received from the ground troops,” Campbell said.
Gratitude for the mission that saved lives and the plane that continued the fight.
“It’s designed to take those hits in the mission,” Campbell said.
Colonel Campbell was back in the air the next day on a mission. He completed more than 100 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan during his 24-year military career.
If you want to know more about his story, you can read his newly released book Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot’s Lessons in Courage.
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Topik: Iraq