US and Iran locked in race to find shot down pilot as Islamic Republic offer £50,000 bounty: American forces rescue one of F-15 aircrew, but second is still missing

Published: 23:13, 3 April 2026 | Updated: 23:21, 3 April 2026 America and Iran are locked in a tense race to find a US pilot downed by Tehran. The war in the Middle East took a dramatic turn on Friday when an F-15E jet on operations over southern Iran was shot out of the sky. One of the two-person crew was rescued within hours in a daring Special Forces mission involving low-flying US helicopter gunships. But the hunt for the second crew member was a head-to-head competition between the warring sides. In a major propaganda boost for Iran, images of debris from the downed jet, including an ejector seat and tail fin were flashed around the world. To silence from Washington, videos then showed Pave Hawk helicopters, a C-130 Hercules aircraft and drones making low passes over a mountainous valley, with locals frantically firing at them. The £60million F-15E is said to be part of 494 Squadron of the 48th Fighter Wing based at USAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. On Friday the Tehran regime put a £50,000 bounty on the missing pilot’s head and urged locals near the crash site to seize the American. Iranian broadcasters told viewers: ‘If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police you will receive a precious prize.’ Pictured a F-15E jet similar to the one shot down over Iran. The United States and Iran are now locked in a race to locate one of the two pilots from the downed plane   Wreckage from the downed US fighter posted by Iran. In a major propaganda boost for Iran, images of debris from the downed jet were flashed around the world The US Air Forces logo on the side of the F-15 fighter jet similar to the one found on debris in Iran News channels also flashed messages on screen of ‘shoot them if you see them’ and showed footage of villagers scouring a rocky hillside. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf taunted the US and Donald Trump’s numerous proclamations of winning the war, writing online: ‘After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from “regime change” to “Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?” ’ A second US Air Force combat plane crashed in the Persian Gulf region around the same time that the F-15E was brought down. Officials confirmed the pilot of the A-10 Warthog attack aircraft had been safely rescued after it went down near the Strait of Hormuz. Mr Trump was being closely briefed on the Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) mission for the F-15E, which, if unsuccessful, could prove politically damaging. The first shooting down of a US fighter jet of the conflict came after the US President repeatedly boasted Iran has no air defence capabilities. Previously, three US aircraft were accidentally targeted by Kuwaiti air defences while Iran has destroyed US aircraft on the ground in Saudi Arabia. On Friday White House officials were ‘war-gaming’ the prospect of a US pilot being held hostage by the Iranians. Donald Trump addressing the US nation on Thursday. The first shooting down of a US fighter jet of the conflict came after the US President repeatedly boasted Iran has no air defence capabilities Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf (pictured) taunted the US and Donald Trump Pictured: The ejected seat from the aircraft as published in Iranian media   The scenario would be likely to turn more Americans against the conflict which President Trump launched alongside Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu six weeks ago today. US Colonel Mike Jernigan said: ‘We have two US Marine Expeditionary Units in the conflict zone. They are the best people to rescue downed aviators are US marines. ‘Those guys have the mission for the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP). Right now, there are marines who are either on their way or they are in the helicopter ready to go.’ The F-15E was conducting a routine sortie over Tehran on Friday when it was struck. Within hours, pictures of the wreckage were posted on the internet, including a blackened crater where the jet crash-landed. Iranian state news agency Tasnim said local traders in the southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, were offering a reward of 10billion tomans (£50,000) for anyone who finds the crew alive.  The plane is thought to have come down around 100 miles from the border with Iraq, where the US-UK Basra airbase is situated.  The former British ambassador to Iran, Nicholas Hopton, said: ‘This is a significant moment. It is obviously deeply concerning for the families of the pilot and all service people.  What worries me particularly is that this incident is likely to trigger an escalation in the conflict, rather than a better situation in Iran and stabilisation in the region.’ Pictured: An F-15 fighter jet similar to the one shot down on Friday. The fighter jet, with a top speed of Mach 2.5 (1,650mph), was downed in the province closest to Kharg Island, the epicentre of Iran’s oil industry While Tehran’s radar systems have been destroyed, Iran still possesses infrared heat equipment that can track aircraft. Unconfirmed US intelligence reports have also challenged Mr Trump’s suggestion that Iran’s attack capabilities have been decimated, with claims that its military still have half of its missile launchers and thousands of drones. Other assessments, denied by the White House, have insisted Iran has thousands of missiles stored at underground sites. The F-15E, with a top speed of Mach 2.5 (1,650mph), was downed in the province closest to Kharg Island, the epicentre of Iran’s oil industry which Mr Trump could capture in the coming days. It is possible the missing pilot may not have survived the crash, as only a single ACES II ejector seat was photographed at the scene. US pilots are trained in SERE, ‘Survive, Evade, Resist and Escape’ techniques, at a flight school in Florida. Crews are also equipped with trackers on their uniforms and encrypted communication devices. The two-person crew consisted of a lead pilot seated to the front and an Electronic Warfare officer seated behind. It was unclear on Friday which had been rescued. The F-15E is a non-stealth aircraft making it easier to shoot down than an F-35 fifth generation fighter. Asked if Friday’s events will affect any negotiations with Iran, Mr Trump said: ‘No, not at all. No, it’s war. We’re in war.’ His words came as Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said Tehran had rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire. The source said the proposal was made through an unnamed country. There was no immediate comment or confirmation from the US. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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