1999 F-117A shootdown

1999 aviation accident in Yugoslavia April 2020 1999 F-117A shootdown the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia 300px|border Ejection seat, wing and canopy of F-117 with serial number 82-0806 at the Belgrade Aviation Museum in late 2018. Near Buđanovci, Serbia, Yugoslavia 44 54 N 19 52 E type:event_region:RS-07 inline,title 1999 03 27 yes 8:15 p.m. NATO warplanes Aircraft shootdown 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade, Army of Yugoslavia On 27 March 1999, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia amid the Kosovo War, a Yugoslav Army unit shot down a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth ground attack aircraft of the United States Air Force (USAF) by firing an S-125 Neva/Pechora surface-to-air missile. It was the first ever shootdown of a stealth aircraft. The pilot ejected safely and was rescued eight hours later by USAF Pararescuemen conducting search and rescue.https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-rescue-of-vega-31-how-special-ops-forces-saved-an-f-117-pilot-in-serbia The Rescue of Vega 31; How special ops forces saved an F-117 pilot in Serbia Robert F. Dorr Robert F. Dorr 28 April 2015 defensemedianetwork.com 19 March 2019 The F-117 had entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1983. It was believed its stealth technology would protect it from relatively obsolete Yugoslav air defenses. The wreckage was mostly intact, creating fears that the sensitive technology would be disseminated. The US military initially prepared F-15E fighters to destroy the wreckage, but claimed to abort the strike due to civilians at the site. It later claimed that it considered the F-117's technology outdated. Russian officials examined the wreckage, potentially contributing to the development of the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter and under development Tupolev PAK DA bomber.The Case Of The Missing F-117 Parts (2001) Aviation Week Network https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/case-missing-f-117-parts-2001 2025-08-21 aviationweek.com China also allegedly purchased wreckage parts, contributing to the Chengdu J-20 fighter.alicebirney 2011-01-23 China's New Stealth Fighter May Use U.S. Technology https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2011/01/chinas-new-stealth-fighter-may-use-u-s-technology/ 2025-08-21 China Digital Times (CDT) en-US2011-01-24 China stealth fighter 'copied parts from downed US jet' https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-12266973 2025-10-04 BBC News en-GB Downing On 27 March 1999, the 3rd Battalion of the 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade of the Army of Yugoslavia, under the command of Lt. Colonel (later Colonel) Zoltán Dani, downed F-117 Air Force serial number 82-0806, callsign "Vega 31". The Army of Yugoslavia unit was equipped with a Yugoslav version of the Soviet Isayev S-125 "Neva" missile system (NATO reporting name, SA-3 "Goa"). At about 8:15p.m. local time, several missiles with a range of about 8 mi km were launched. The F-117 was not acquired on radar, despite claims by the Serbian military, but tracked visually from its take-off base in Italy, flying repeatedly on the same track for several days, and the SA-3 missiles were launched at the expected crossover point to where the F-117 was flying, fragmentation causing the loss of the aircraft.July 2026 The F-117, callsign "Vega-31", was being flown by Lt. Col. Darrell Patrick "Dale" Zelko (born 30 November 1963), an Operation Desert Storm veteran.May 2007 Interview with Lt Colonel Dale Zelko, USAF http://f117sfa.org/sfa_newsletter/Newsletter2007-05.pdf dead Nighthawks F-117 Stealth Fighter Association 5 1 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043205/http://f117sfa.org/sfa_newsletter/Newsletter2007-05.pdf 4 March 2016 27 April 2015 dmy-all He observed the two missiles rise through the low cloud cover and head straight for his aircraft.Dale Zelko lecture for the USAF museum during 2006 http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/podcasts/lecture.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20141230141045/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/podcasts/lecture.asp 30 December 2014 The first passed over him, close enough to cause buffeting, but did not detonate. The second missile detonated nearby, its shrapnel and shockwave causing significant damage to the aircraft and causing it to tumble out of control. The explosion was large enough to be seen from a NATO Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker flying over Bosnia. Zelko was subject to intense g-forces as the aircraft tumbled and had great difficulty in assuming the correct posture for ejecting. After his parachute deployed, he used his survival radio to issue a mayday call and was able to contact the KC-135 that had seen him shot down. Contrary to his training, Zelko used his survival radio while still descending,Rogoway Tyler Audio From The 1999 Shoot Down Of F-117 "Vega 31" Over Serbia Is Chilling http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/13766/audio-from-the-1999-shoot-down-of-f-117-vega-31-over-serbia-is-chilling 11 June 2025 The War Zone 24 August 2017 reasoning that the altitude would give his signal the best possible range. Zelko landed in a field south of Ruma and around a mile/kilometer south of a four-lane highway, now part of European route E70. He quickly concealed himself in a drainage ditch that he had identified as a hole-up site while descending. There, he felt the shock waves of bombs dropped by NATO bombers on targets on the outskirts of Belgrade. Zelko landed around a mile/kilometer from his aircraft's crash site, and an intensive search of the area was carried out by the Yugoslav soldiers, policemen, and local villagers. At one point, searchers came within a few hundred meters of the ditch he was hiding in. Zelko was rescued approximately eight hours later by a U.S. Air Force combat search and rescue team (SSgt. Eric Giacchino and SrA. John M. Jordan) flying in two Sikorsky MH-53 helicopters and a Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk in the early hours of the next morning. According to Zelko, he would later learn that he had been minutes away from being captured.November 2024 He was initially misidentified in press reports, as the name "Capt Ken 'Wiz' Dwelle" was painted on the aircraft's canopy. The lost F-117 carried the name "Something Wicked" and had previously flown 39 sorties during the Persian Gulf War's Operation Desert Storm.http://www.f-117a.com/Serial.html F-117A Serial Listings www.f-117a.com 13 November 2012 Attempt to destroy the wreckage Photographs show that the aircraft struck the ground at low speed in an inverted position, and that the airframe remained relatively intact. F-15E Strike Eagles armed with AGM-130 missiles were immediately put on alert for a mission to destroy the wreckage, but by the time it could positively determine the crash site, a CNN crew and other civilians had arrived there. The resulting capture of the wreckage by Yugoslav forces surprised analysts and pilots. Paul G. Kaminski, who played a major role in the F-117's development, argued that despite the aircraft's service reaching 15 years, "there are things in that airplane, while they may not be leading technologies today in the United States, are certainly ahead of what some potential adversaries have." and clarified that he feared the development of foreign stealth aircraft more than the counter-stealth technology.https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1365.html NATO's Air War for Kosovo: A Strategic and Operational Assessment Lambeth Benjamin S. 2001-01-01 en Conversely, the US government downplayed the impact, arguing the F-117 was based on 1970s technology, the military had revealed its existence in 1988, and the aircraft often appeared at air shows. General Bruce A. Carlson stated that if Serbia gave the wreckage to Russia, the result would be minimal.Jeffrey T. Richelson July 2001 When Secrets Crash http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2001/July%202001/0701crash.aspx 1 November 2019 Air Force Magazine On April 2, the Yugoslav government announced its intention to hand over pieces of the downed F-117 to Russian authorities. A Russian trade delegation visited the site, and salvaged materials and systems components. Russian officials later confirmed they had examined the wreckage, contributing to the development of the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter and under development Tupolev PAK DA bomber. China also allegedly purchased wreckage parts, contributing to the Chengdu J-20 fighter. Chinese military and intelligence collaboration with Yugoslavia, including surrounding the wreckage, is speculated to have played a role in the United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade on 7 May 1999.2019-05-06 The night the US bombed a Chinese embassy https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48134881 2025-10-02 BBC News en-GB In 2011, Croatian admiral Davor Domazet-Lošo, military chief of staff in 1999, told the BBC that Chinese agents had scoured the area where the F-117 "disintegrated", buying recovered components from local farmers. The BBC also cited an anonymous senior Serbian military official that components were recovered by "souvenir collectors", and some were then transferred to "foreign military attaches". Aftermath Zoltán Dani, now running a bakery, and Dale Zelko, now retired from the U.S. Air Force, met in 2011. They have since developed a friendship.De Launey, Guy 6 November 2012 Foes now friends: US stealth pilot and the Serb who shot him down ('they worked towards a face-to-face encounter. That finally came last year') https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20209770 14 November 2012 BBC News British Broadcasting Corporation United Kingdom Damage to other NATO aircraft A second F-117 was reportedly targeted and possibly struck during Operation Allied Force, with the incident alleged to have occurred on 30 April 1999.1 December 2020 Yes, Serbian Air Defenses Did Hit Another F-117 During Operation Allied Force In 1999 https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37894/yes-serbian-air-defenses-did-hit-another-f-117-during-operation-allied-force-in-1999 The Drive The aircraft is said to have returned in a damaged condition to Spangdahlem Air Base, but reportedly did not fly again. Despite this incident, the United States Air Force continued to operate the F-117 throughout the duration of the campaign.Donald David Black Jets: The Development and Operation of America's Most Secret Warplanes 2003 Norwalk, Connecticut AIRtime Publishing 978-1-880588-67-3 119 The event was later corroborated by another F-117A pilot in 2020; however, the incident remains classified, and only limited details have been disclosed.Newdick Thomas 1 December 2020 Yes, Serbian Air Defenses Did Hit Another F-117 During Operation Allied Force In 1999 https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37894/yes-serbian-air-defenses-did-hit-another-f-117-during-operation-allied-force-in-1999 2020-12-06 The War ZoneDRAGANOVA MIRNA RUKA DOKRAJČILA I DRUGOG "NEVIDLjIVOG": Pripadnici Trećeg diviziona 250. brigade PVO o podvigu tokom NATO bombardovanja https://www.novosti.rs/vesti/drustvo/942347/draganova-mirna-ruka-dokrajcila-drugog-nevidljivog-pripadnici-treceg-diviziona-250-brigade-pvo-podvigu-tokom-nato-bombardovanja 2020-12-06 NOVOSTI sr On 2 May 1999, the 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade also shot down a USAF General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon fighter piloted by future Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force David L. Goldfein.Roberts Chris 7 February 2007 Holloman commander recalls being shot down in Serbia http://www.f-16.net/news_article2167.html 28 March 2019 F16.netF-16.net - The ultimate F-16, F-35 and F-22 reference https://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/2787 2024-10-20 www.f-16.netLieven Dewitte: F-16 Fighting Falcon News: USAF F-16CG crashes over Yugoslavia 1 May 1999, www.f-16.net, accessed 28 March 2019. This was the only other NATO crewed aircraft shot down during Operation Allied Force, and one of only three NATO crewed aircraft downed in interventions in the Yugoslav Wars, alongside another F-16 shot down over Bosnia in 1994.Wayback Machine https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Airmen-at-War/Haulman-MannedAircraftLossesYugoslavia1994-1999.pdf?ver=2016-08-22-131404-383 https://web.archive.org/web/20250618183423/https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Airmen-at-War/Haulman-MannedAircraftLossesYugoslavia1994-1999.pdf?ver=2016-08-22-131404-383 2025-06-18 2025-10-04 www.dafhistory.af.mil Some pieces of the F-117's wreckage are preserved at the Serbian Museum of Aviation in Belgrade. A small rubber part of the plane was shown as "a souvenir" to Western journalists by Serbian warlord Arkan during the NATO air campaign.MOGU DA POLOMIM F-117A: Evo kako je ARKAN uništio ponos Amerike i "nevidljivi" bombarder! (VIDEO) 27 March 2015 Telegraf http://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/politika/1496575-mogu-da-polomim-f-117a-evo-kako-je-arkan-unistio-ponos-amerike-i-nevidljivi-bombarder-video 25 December 2015The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS). January 2024 The USAF retired its F-117s in 2008. Gallery References http://www.pbase.com/vmarinkovic/air_museum Air Museum, Belgrade, Serbia Photo Gallery by Vlado Marinkovic at Pbase.com 27 September 2012 Dorr, Robert F. "USAF Fighter Force at 60". AirForces Monthly magazine, October 2007. Dsouza, Larkins. "Who shot down F-117?" Defence Aviation, 8 February 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2011. Pae, Peter. "Stealth fighters fly off the radar". Los Angeles Times, 23 April 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2008. Logan, Don. Lockheed F-117 Nighthawks: A Stealth Fighter Roll Call. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2009. 978-0-7643-3242-5. November 2012 "How to Take Down an F-117." Strategy Page, 21 November 2005. Retrieved 12 June 2010. "Pilot recognizes crashed F-117A." USA Today. Retrieved 24 April 2010. Serb discusses 1999 downing of stealth USA Today 26 October 2005 https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-10-26-serb-stealth_x.htm 8 May 2007 External links Vega 31: The Loss of #806 Russians admit testing F-117 lost in Yugoslavia, 2001 Flight Global article Foes now friends: US stealth pilot and the Serb who shot him down BBC News 5 November 2012 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20209770 Category:1999 in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Category:1999 in the United States Category:20th-century aircraft shootdown incidents Category:20th-century history of the United States Air Force Category:Accidents and incidents involving United States Air Force aircraft Category:Aerial operations and battles of the Kosovo War Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1999 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Yugoslavia Category:March 1999 in Europe Category:Ruma Category:History of Syrmia Category:History of Vojvodina Category:NATO bombing of Yugoslavia