2003 Baghdad DHL attempted shootdown incident

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On 22 November 2003, a DHL Aviation cargo plane was struck by a surface-to-air missile shortly after takeoff from Baghdad. The Airbus A300B4-203F, registration OO-DLL, owned by European Air Transport (the DHL division), was flying from Baghdad to Bahrain when a 9K34 Strela-3 missile hit the left wing. The impact damaged the wing, started a fire, and caused the loss of all hydraulics, disabling the aircraft’s flight controls.

The three-member crew—Captain Éric Gennotte, First Officer Steeve Michielsen, and Flight Engineer Mario Rofail—took the severely damaged aircraft back to Baghdad International Airport. With no hydraulics, they relied on engine thrust and careful throttle management to control the airplane, while Rofail performed a gravity drop to lower the landing gear. After managing a difficult descent and fuel balance, they lined up for a landing on Runway 33L. Because of the damage, they could not reduce thrust before touchdown and touched down off-center, veering onto soft ground and stopping after about 3,300 feet. All three crew members survived with no injuries.

The crew were later honored with aviation safety awards for their exceptional handling of the emergency. The aircraft was repaired and briefly returned to service in 2004, but remained with the fleet for years afterward.