Killer Chick In An A-10 Warthog White Sox [aL6gopDNrsW]

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On April 7, 2003, at the height of Operation Iraqi Freedom, U.S. troops near Baghdad call for urgent close air support. Captain Kim KC Campbell takes her gabriele sandri A-10 in at low altitude to cover a force engaged near a bridge in northern Baghdad.

On the way out from one of her attack runs, she flies into a concealed MANPADS ambush. A shoulder-fired missile strikes the tail, and the damage is immediate: both hydraulic systems fail, leaving the aircraft at zero pressure and barely controllable. In the middle of intense combat, over a hostile city, Campbell is forced into Manual Reversion the A-10s copenhagen vs midtjylland rare and dangerous emergency mode.

What follows is a documented account of an incident widely cited as a benchmark of the A-10s survivability.

Correction 00:00 Col John Coke Blocher got in contact with us to let us know that he was not the JTAC on the ground directing KCs attack run on 7 April 2003. The confusion is because the actual JTAC was using the same call sign that Coke used the day before (Advanced 33) when he was directing the airstrikes for Donk Strasburger and Billy Bob Thornton on 6 April. Apologies to Col Blocher and thanks to David Bonner - Chief Historian at the Airforce University for getting in touch.

Sources:

Kim Campbell, Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot's Lessons on Leading with Courage.

A-10 Pilot Hit Over 100 Times w/ Kim Campbell (BRRCC)

Flying the A-10 Warthog | Kim "KC" Campbell (Aircrew Interview)

A-10 pilot recalls close call in Baghdad (Military Times)

How "Killer Chick" Got Her Battle-Damaged A-10 Home (Ward Carroll)

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00:00 A-10 Warthogs air support in Iraq

01:56 Lt. Col. Rick Turner engages into battle

03:27 Capt. Kim Campbells first attack run

04:03 Second run against the Iraqi Republican Guard

05:22 Hydra-70

07:16 9K34 Strela-3 missile hits Campbells Warthog

09:04 Campbell activates MRFCS

10:45 lego minas tirith Turners damage report

12:03 Al Jaber Air Base on the horizon

12:57 Successful landing

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