Head shot pilot keeps flying

In an incredible stroke of luck, a UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Chinook pilot who was airlifting patients from a battle in Helmand Province was shot between the eyes – but continued to fly his helicopter out of the combat zone and to safety, saving the lives of everyone onboard the aircraft. Flight Lieutenant Ian Fortune was brought in to pick up casualties from a firefight that was ongoing between US and Afghan forces and heavily armed rebels. Fortune was reportedly told that it was too dangerous for him to land, so instead he circled the area, waiting for the moment to drop in. As the moment arrived and he landed the helicopter, the Chinook came under heavy fire and Fortune was hit by a Taliban bullet as he took off. The shot hit the rail on the front of his helmet – where the night vision goggles would usually be attached – penetrated the helmet and hit him between the eyes, causing heavy bleeding. The next round of bullets hit the helicopter’s controls, seriously damaging the stabilisation system. Despite the damage to himself and his helicopter, Fortune was able to fly for eight minutes before landing safely at Camp Bastion. It is the first time in the nine-year war in Afghanistan a pilot has been shot while in the air. One senior RAF source said: “If the bullet had hit the pilot a millimetre lower, those onboard wouldn’t have stood a chance. And had it not been for the skill of the pilot, the result would have been the same.”