In 2020, Taylor Bye of the 75th Fighter Squadron received the Air Combat Command Airmanship Award after demonstrating exceptional skill during a dangerous in-flight emergency. While piloting an A-10C Thunderbolt II, she experienced a sudden canopy failure in addition to problems with the aircraft’s landing gear system.
Facing severe turbulence and multiple mechanical complications, Capt. Bye maintained her composure and relied on her training to manage the crisis. She ultimately performed a successful gear-up landing without suffering injury, preserving both her own safety and the aircraft itself. Her actions were widely recognized as an example of outstanding professionalism, courage, and airmanship under extreme pressure.
Overview of Taylor Bye’s incredible landing
During what the Air Force described as a “catastrophic” in-flight failure, Taylor Bye expertly brought her A-10C Thunderbolt II to a safe landing, despite issues with the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger while flying over Grand Bay Range at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
The malfunction led to the cockpit canopy detaching and caused damage to the aircraft’s landing gear. Nevertheless, Bye’s skill and precision ensured the jet touched down safely without further incident.
Looking back on the incident, she later said, “My initial reaction was to climb away from the ground and then look at my engines. The amazing thing about the A-10 is even though all these things happened, I had two perfectly working engines and hydraulic systems.”
Teamwork helped save the day
Taylor Bye was the flight leader on the day of the incident, accompanied by her wingman, Maj. Jack Ingber. Following the malfunction, Ingber visually inspected her A-10C to help establish what had gone wrong.
“I slowed down the aircraft and that’s when (Ingber) looked over my jet,” Bye explained. “The trust in this community and the Air Force in general, but specifically this fighter squadron, is huge because I’m completely relying on him to let me know what’s going on so I can take the proper action and get both him and I back on the ground safely.”
Taylor Bye had to reduce her visibility
Ingber explained, “When anything (unusual) happens, it’s apparent and very easy to spot it and fix it.” He added, “It’s my primary job to think of everything that (Bye) is not because she has a massive handful of an airplane that is falling apart.”
After assessing how serious the situation was, Bye managed to land the 20-ton aircraft without using the landing gear. To endure the powerful 350 MPH winds hitting the cockpit, she adjusted her seat, even though it made it harder for her to see what was around her.
Taylor Bye was nervous, but still did her job
“I guess I was nervous the whole time, but I didn’t have time to think about being nervous,” the pilot explained. “My job was to take care of myself and to take care of the jet.” Thankfully, she brought the A-10C down safely and emerged unscathed.
Reflecting on the event, Lt. Col. Stephen Joca, commander of the 75th Fighter Squadron, emphasized, “what’s most important is preventing total loss of the A-10 or even worse, her life,” and added “there are some steps that were covered in the checklist – the rest was just superb airmanship and decision making.”
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II’s famous ruggedness
The A-10 has become famous over its service life for its incredible durability and reliability. However, even the attack aircraft isn’t totally safe from malfunctions. A similar incident occurred in 2017 when Brett DeVries of the 107th Fighter Squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base encountered a potentially fatal emergency while flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II over Michigan. A malfunction involving the aircraft’s GAU-8 Avenger caused the cockpit canopy to detach during flight, suddenly exposing him to intense wind pressure and deafening noise. At the same time, the aircraft’s landing gear system failed to deploy properly.
Like Bye, drawing on his training and experience, Maj. DeVries maintained control of the aircraft despite the severe conditions. He successfully carried out a precise gear-up landing at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, bringing the aircraft down safely without injury. His composed and disciplined handling of the emergency earned widespread praise and highlighted the level of skill and calm required of A-10 pilots operating under extreme pressure.