London – A leaked cockpit video published Tuesday captures a dramatic exchange between two American pilots whose voices choke up when they learn they have killed a British soldier in a 2003 friendly-fire incident in Iraq.
“I’m going to be sick. …We’re in jail, dude,” one pilot says.
Despite British requests, the Pentagon had refused to release the video to the family of Lance Cpl. Matty Hull, who died when U.S. jets fired on his convoy in the southern city of Basra. But after excerpts of the video were published in The Sun newspaper and the footage was widely broadcast, U.S. authorities agreed to release it for the British inquest.
Neither pilot disciplined
Neither pilot from the Boise, Idaho-based 190th Fighter Squadron was disciplined in the U.S. military’s own investigation, which concluded the pilots “followed the procedures and processes for engaging targets,” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Tuesday.
The leaking of the tape strained relations between Department of Defense officials and their British counterparts, who were previously given a DVD of the classified video.
The dramatic cockpit video and recording begins with two pilots identifying a target and checking with ground control that there are no coalition troops in the area – to which ground control says, “That is an affirm. You are well clear of friendlies,” according to the transcript released by The Sun.
Tempers flare between the two pilots, with one saying it looks like the prospective targets are carrying orange rockets. Coalition troops are often equipped with bright orange markers to identify them as friendly forces.
“I know what you’re talking about!” the first pilot says, after asking about the alleged rockets.
“OK, well they got orange rockets on them,” the second pilot says.
“Orange rockets?” the first pilot asks again, telling the other pilot they need to get back to base soon.
“I think killing these damn rocket launchers, it would be great,” the second pilot says.
The two U.S. A-10 jets opened fire on Hull’s tank, which was part of a five-vehicle convoy engaged in combat outside Basra on March 28, 2003. Four other soldiers were wounded, including the convoy’s leader, Capt. Alexander MacEwen.
Gunfire is heard. Minutes later they learn there are friendly forces in the area and that one person is dead and another is wounded.
“I’m going to be sick”
Pilot 1: “I’m going to be sick.” Pilot 2: “Ah (expletive).” Pilot 1: “Did you hear?” Pilot 2: “Yeah, this (expletive).” Pilot 1: “We’re in jail, dude.” The pilots communicate with ground control again. “They did say there were no friendlies,” the first pilot says.
“Yeah, I know that thing with the orange panels is going to screw us. They look like orange rockets on top,” the second pilot says.
The first pilot then asks if his tape is still on. Seconds later, there is silence.
Susan Hull, Hull’s widow, welcomed the release of the video, saying it was “vital evidence and must be shown” at the inquest.
“The inquest is my one and only chance to hear how and why Matty died,” she said in a statement released by her lawyers.
