Hobby Master Archive

On April 7 2003 Capt. Kim Campbell of the 75th FS deployed in her A-10A Warthog. As part of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing during OIF the mission was to provide close air support over Baghdad for ground troops. Ready to begin the return flight her aircraft was struck by enemy fire destroying all hydraulic systems. After a brief time Capt. Campbell realized she was going to have to fly the aircraft without hydraulic assistance or bail out over Baghdad, which really wasn’t an option in her mind. Her flight lead assessed the damage and determined that the aircraft had hits to the rear, including the horizontal stabilizer, tail section and engine cowling. Luckily the damage didn’t affect the flight control surfaces or landing gear. There were two options now, continue to fly the aircraft clear of Baghdad and bail out or try to return to base and attempt a landing. Capt. Campbell felt the aircraft was operating well so return to base became the priority. The aircraft made a safe landing and the next problem was staying on the runway and stopping. Without hydraulics there are no speed brakes, brakes or steering. When it was all over Capt. Campbell praised the A-10 for its ability to sustain heavy damage and continue to fly. This occurrence earned Capt. Kim Campbell the nickname “Killer Chick”.