During a 2003 combat mission over Baghdad, U.S. Air Force pilot Kim Campbell found herself in a life-or-death situation when her A-10 Thunderbolt II was hit by intense enemy fire. The attack tore through the aircraft’s tail and destroyed its hydraulic systems, rendering most of the flight controls useless. Suddenly forced into manual reversion—flying with only mechanical backups—Campbell had mere seconds to decide whether to eject or attempt the impossible.
She chose to stay with the jet. Relying on rigorous training, steady instincts, and sheer resolve, Campbell fought to stabilize the badly damaged aircraft while still over hostile territory. Against the odds, she kept the A-10 in the air and guided it safely back to base, preventing the loss of both the aircraft and sensitive technology—and cementing her place as one of the most remarkable combat pilots of the Iraq War.
Her exceptional bravery and airmanship earned her the Distinguished Flying Cross for her “exceptional courage and airmanship,” solidifying her status as one of the Iraq War’s most skilled and courageous combat pilots.
Kim Campbell’s A-10 Warthog is struck by an enemy missile
On April 7, 2003, U.S. Air Force pilot Kim Campbell launched toward Baghdad to strike an Iraqi command post, flying with her flight lead, Lt. Col. Rick “Bino” Turner. As they neared the target, their mission abruptly changed when a desperate call for help came through: soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division were pinned down and urgently needed close air support.
Over the sprawling city, Campbell and Turner faced a volatile mix of dangers. They had to deliver pinpoint strikes while minimizing civilian casualties, all under the constant threat of surface-to-air missiles and with visibility degraded by heavy cloud cover. Despite the pressure, both pilots pressed on, maintaining focus and precision in the chaos below.
Campbell made multiple attack runs, suppressing enemy positions with rockets and devastating 30mm cannon fire. Just as the engagement appeared to be ending, catastrophe struck. A missile slammed into her A-10 Warthog and erupted in an ominous orange fireball that ripped through the aircraft and destroyed its hydraulic systems. The jet lurched into a steep, uncontrolled dive, thrusting Campbell into a sudden fight for survival—one that would push her training, nerve, and resolve to their absolute limits.
Kim Campbell was trained in how to manually fly the A-10 Warthog
Kim Campbell’s instincts and training took over as she concentrated on keeping her A-10 steady in the air. Reflecting on the ordeal, she recalled, “In an emergency situation like that, I felt like time slowed down. I knew I had to take quick action but I also had to figure out what was going on in my cockpit.”
Determining that manual flight was her only viable option, she took advantage of a key feature of the A-10’s design. Unlike most aircraft, the A-10 can still be flown without hydraulics, thanks to its manual reversion system—a mechanical backup that allows pilots to retain control during extreme emergencies.
However, this capability comes with a steep challenge. A 1982 U.S. Air Force Human Resources Laboratory report noted that “aircraft control in the manual flight mode is exceptionally demanding of piloting skills,” underscoring just how remarkable Campbell’s feat truly was.
A quick lesson while under fire
Campbell had to relearn how to manually fly while under anti-aircraft fire. Fortunately, her piloting skills were sharp enough that it wasn’t overly challenging for her.“Once I flipped the switch to manual reversion, I don’t remember it being overly difficult,” she said. “I was just so relieved the airplane was finally climbing and responding.”
After the critical hit, Campbell and Turner managed to exit the combat zone largely unharmed, and she manually flew the A-10 for 300 miles back to Kuwait.
Landing manually is a completely different ball game
Landing an A-10 manually is an especially daunting task, made even more difficult without hydraulics, as precise adjustments become much harder. The manual reversion checklist explicitly warns pilots to “attempt only under ideal conditions.”
Kim Campbell, however, faced anything but ideal conditions. Her aircraft had sustained extensive damage, peppered with bullet holes and a severely compromised right horizontal stabilizer. After carefully weighing the risks with Turner, they decided to attempt a manual landing. Reflecting on the event, Campbell shared, “[Turner’s] actions after I was hit were absolutely critical. I was so focused on flying the airplane, getting it under control, whereas he had more awareness of what was going on around me.”
Campbell successfully landed the A-10 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for her heroism. Lt. Col. Mike Millen, Chief of the 355th Fighter Wing Commander’s Action Group, praised her skill, saying, “Kim landed that jet with no hydraulics better than I land the A-10 every day with all systems operational.”
Interestingly, when Campbell later practiced similar manual landings in simulators, the outcomes were not as successful.
Kim Campbell went right back to it
Even though she showed bravery in the moment, Kim Campbell confessed that she was truly frightened inside. “When I go back and listen to the audio recording [of the flight], I can hear the fear, I just didn’t have time to think about it,” she recalled. Nevertheless, she climbed back into the cockpit the next day.
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Now retired, Campbell logged 1,800 hours of flight time and completed over 100 combat missions in the A-10. For her, it’s all about being an excellent pilot. “I never wanted to be labeled as a female fighter pilot,” she explained. “I wanted to be the best pilot. So just work hard and be credible. Be good at what you do.”