Darrell Zelko: F-117 Pilot Shot Down Over Yugoslavia

Spent 8 Hours Evading Capture, Rescued by Air Force PJ’s

After much success in Desert Storm’s bombing campaign, the F-117 stealth fighter seemed to be invulnerable to enemy fire. In a night mission in 1999, this was proven otherwise when Zelko’s F-117 nicknamed “Something Wicked” was damaged by explosions from two S-125 Serbian missiles. Quickly ejecting from his damaged Nighthawk, Zelko evaded the Serbs looking for him for eight hours by covering himself in dirt in a ditch and radioing for help. An HH-60 Pave Hawk and two MH-53s with Para Jumpers found Zelko in the dark and a daring landing by the Pave Hawk saved his life from the enemy soldiers. Later in life Zelko and the man who shot him down (Zoltan Dani) became friends and are still to this day.

“Something Wicked’s” remains reside in a Belgrade museum to this day (possibly waiting for rescue). Valor is in you. Set it free.