After a distress call was transmitted throughout the airwaves over Iraq and Syria, an American KC-135 was called in to save the day.
The F-16 was flying over areas held by ISIS when the pilt realized that he was having fueling problems.
According to Sky News:
The F-16 had been trying to refuel in mid-air when the pilot discovered a malfunction with his fuel system, which meant he could only fly for 15 minutes -- nowhere near enough to reach safety. Instead of leaving the pilot to cope with the emergency himself, the US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crew managed to escort him back to its base while refueling every 15 minutes to keep the jet in the air.
"Over 80% of his total fuel capability was trapped and unusable," Lt. Col. Eric Hallberg. "Knowing the risks to their own safety, they put the life of the F-16 pilot first and made what could've been an international tragedy a feel-good news story."
The Air Force has not revealed which country the F-16 pilot was from.
