'Fearful fate' facing missing US pilot from downed US fighter jet if captured

'Fearful fate' facing missing US pilot from downed US fighter jet if capturedThe US is in a race against time to save a missing fighter jet pilot whose aircraft was shot down by Iran - as a sick bounty has been put on the soldiers head to be captured by the enemyCommentsNewsNiamh Kirk Lifestyle Writer13:14, 04 Apr 2026Updated 13:14, 04 Apr 2026View 6 ImagesA US F-15 jet was shot down by Iranian forces [stock](Image: Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)With a £50,000 bounty on his head and elite rescue teams scrambling to find him, the missing American crew member faces a fearful fate if they fall into the wrong hands.‌Experts warn the airman is at risk of becoming a propaganda trophy for the Iranian regime, mirroring the chilling ordeal of British pilots paraded on TV during the 1991 Gulf War. Both US and Iranian forces are looking for the weapon systems officer, who has been missing since a F-15 jet on operations over southern Iran was shot out of the sky.‌The pilot was rescued within hours in a daring Special Forces mission involving low-flying US helicopter gunships.‌READ MORE: Missing US pilot's last hope as they face Iran's sinister bounty messageView 6 ImagesThe aircraft is believed to have gone down in Khuzestan province(Image: AFP via Getty Images)Now rescue teams are scrambling in a "harrowing and dangerous" search mission for the second crew member, while Iranian state media broadcasts offers a "precious prize" for capturing the unidentified American.The £75million F-15 fighter aircraft was shot down over the Iranian airspace yesterday, as the two crew members ejected near to the Iraqi border.‌But what could this look like for the pilot captured in enemy territory?State TV channels have urged residents to search the area, alongside the offer of a £50,000 bounty - which is significantly higher than the country's monthly salary of £150, saying: "If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive a...