Pilot recovers A-10 with manual reversion
- On April 7, 2003, Capt. Kim Campbell brought a battle-damaged A-10 back from Baghdad after enemy fire wiped out both hydraulic systems, forcing her to fly and land with the jet’s manual backup controls. - Campbell had about 90 minutes in A-10 manual reversion before combat, then used that cable-and-crank backup to recover a jet later found riddled with roughly 300 holes and major tail damage. - The flight became one of the Air Force’s best-known emergency recoveries and earned Campbell the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor. (af.mil)
Capt. Kim Campbell landed an A-10 on backup controls after enemy fire knocked out both hydraulic systems over Baghdad on April 7, 2003. (af.mil) In most jets, hydraulics are the muscle that moves the control surfaces. The A-10 also has a last-ditch mechanical backup called manual reversion, which lets the pilot move the jet with cables, pulleys and sheer force. (dtic.mil) (military.com) Campbell was flying close air support for U.S. ground troops near the Tigris River when Iraqi fire hit her aircraft. Her control panel lit up with warning lights, the jet rolled hard left, and she discovered the airplane would not answer normal inputs. (af.mil 1) (af.mil 2) She switched into manual reversion and pointed the aircraft south, away from Baghdad. Campbell later said she had logged about 90 minutes in that mode before combat, all during training. (af.mil) (usafa.af.mil) Manual reversion is slow and heavy because the pilot is no longer commanding powered controls. The Air Force’s own research called it a demanding task and said maintaining control and landing in that mode required careful simulator cueing and experienced handling. (dtic.mil) Campbell’s wingman stayed with her as she worked the crippled jet back to base. She made a straight-in approach and landed safely, even though the aircraft had become difficult to turn, trim and flare. (af.mil) (goefoundation.org) The damage was worse than she knew in the cockpit. Air Force photos and later accounts said the A-10 had about 300 holes, major damage to the right horizontal stabilizer and a hit to one engine. (af.mil) (military.com) For the flight, Campbell received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for heroism in aerial combat. Air Force Academy materials later described the 2003 recovery as the moment that made her one of the service’s most recognized A-10 pilots. (valor.militarytimes.com) (usafa.af.mil) The episode still gets retold because it shows what the A-10 was built to do: absorb punishment, keep flying and give the pilot one final mechanical way home. Campbell used that last option all the way to the runway. (af.mil) (theaviationgeekclub.com)
