NYT: US destroyed malfunctioning planes during Iran rescue mission Two US transport planes malfunctioned during a rescue mission in Iran and were ordered destroyed to prevent them from being seized, according to The New York Times. The report comes as details continue to emerge about the high-risk operation to recover a downed Air Force crew member. President Donald Trump confirmed the rescue of the second crew member from the F-15E fighter jet, saying, “WE GOT HIM! … SAFE and SOUND!” He added the officer, a colonel, “sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” and said the mission involved “dozens of aircraft.”   The incident comes after the F-15E was shot down over Iran, prompting a multi-stage rescue operation for its two crew members, according to US officials and media reports.