Gus Kohntopp
Encyclopedia
Gus Kohntopp is an A-10 Thunderbolt II
fighter pilot with the Idaho Air National Guard
of the United States
. He currently holds the rank of colonel
and is also a commercial pilot with Southwest Airlines
. He spent 14 years on active duty with the United States Air Force
during which he flew the F-117 Nighthawk
"stealth fighter." Kohntopp flew combat missions with the 190th Fighter Squadron
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
On February 6, 2007, Kohntopp was identified by the British
tabloid The Sun
as "POPOV36" (sometimes spelled in other sources as "POPOFF36"), the callsign for one of two A-10 aircraft involved in the March 28, 2003 friendly fire incident involving two United States Air Force
Air National Guard
190th Fighter Squadron
attack aircraft and vehicles from the United Kingdom
's D Squadron, The Blues and Royals
of the Household Cavalry
, in which British soldier Matty Hull was killed. The incident, and subsequent English
inquest
verdict of unlawful killing
, were widely reported by the media, especially in the United Kingdom
.
(U.S.), the eldest of the four sons of Dean and Carolyn Kohntopp. Living on a farm, he was involved as a boy in raising cattle, working bean fields, and digging irrigation ditches. During his childhood and adolescence Kohntopp hunted and fished frequently, and was involved with 4-H
and Scouting
. At age 14, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout
, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America
.
On one occasion in high school
around 1980, Kohntopp was riding motorcycles with friends in the Owyhee Mountains
in southwest Idaho when they stopped to take a break. At that moment, two F-111s
from Mountain Home Air Force Base
flew by below them, only 100 feet (30.5 m) above the ground. Kohntopp later said of that moment, "That was when I knew I wanted to fly." Shortly thereafter, he had the opportunity to ride in a cropdusting
helicopter during efforts to fight a severe infestation of "crop-destroying" grasshopper
s that infested his family farm.
Kohntopp entered the University of Idaho
in 1981. While at the university he was active in the FarmHouse
fraternity. During this time he traveled with his grandmother to visit distant relatives in Czechoslovakia
, Yugoslavia
, and Hungary
. Of that trip, Kohntopp said, "What amazed us most was what we take for granted in the United States was mostly a luxury for these people. After that experience I knew I wanted to help protect our country's freedoms. The best way I felt to do this was to join the military." He applied for and was accepted into the university's Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps
program. Kohntopp graduated in 1985 with a degree in computer science engineering.
Kohntopp attended pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base
and graduated in the top 5% of his class. He chose the A-10 Thunderbolt II
(A-10) as the aircraft that he wished to fly. First, Kohntopp attended fighter "lead-in" training at Holloman Air Force Base
and then transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
to train in the A-10. His first assignment after graduating from the training was Suwon Air Base near Suwon
, South Korea
where he spent 13 months.
After Suwon, Kohntopp was transferred to Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
in South Carolina
for two years. At Myrtle Beach, he met his wife Saunie. Believing that the U.S. Air Force was about to deactivate its A-10 fleet, Kohntopp applied for and was accepted as a F-117 Nighthawk
pilot, operating out of Tonopah Test Range
, Nevada
. During his time at Tonopah, he deployed twice to Saudi Arabia
. His F-117 unit then moved to Holloman Air Force Base, although Kohntopp and his family continued to maintain a home in Las Vegas
. He served as an instructor pilot for the F-117 and AT-38
for the next five years at Holloman.
After Holloman, Kohntopp served in a staff
position at United States Central Command
at MacDill Air Force Base
, Florida
. In 1999, soon after the birth of his second child, Kohntopp decided to leave active duty and return to Idaho where he obtained a position as an A-10 pilot with the 190th Fighter Squadron
of the Idaho Air National Guard
.
Kohntopp was hired as a first officer with Southwest Airlines
, a position that he held for six years before being promoted to captain in early 2006. During this time, the 190th Fighter Squadron with Kohntopp was deployed to Southwest Asia
for four and one half months in support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. Kohntopp flew 27 combat missions in support of United States and United Kingdom military forces involved in the operation. Kohntopp called the deployment, "the epitome of my career" and he was awarded the Bronze Star for his performance during the operation. In late 2006 or early 2007, Kohntopp was promoted to Colonel
.
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On March 28, 2003 two 190th A-10 Thunderbolt II
aircraft, flown by a major
and a Lieutenant Colonel
, flew a mission to destroy artillery
and rocket launchers from Iraq's 6th Armor Division, dug in 25 miles (40.2 km) north of Basra
. During the mission, the two A-10 aircraft mistakenly attacked a patrol of four armored vehicles from D Squadron of the British
Blues and Royals
of the Household Cavalry
that were supporting the 16 Air Assault Brigade in Operation Telic
. As a result of the strafing
runs made by the 190th A-10 aircraft, British Lance-Corporal of Horse
Matty Hull was killed and five of his colleagues were injured, four seriously. The cause of injury to the victims was multiple shrapnel wounds and burns
. At least two FV107 Scimitar
armored vehicles were destroyed and an FV103 Spartan
was damaged during the incident. The British newspaper, The Sun
, on February 6, 2007 identified one of the two A-10 pilots involved, the "Lieutenant Colonel" who used "POPOV36" as his callsign during the incident, as Gus Kohntopp.
The aftermath of the attack caused controversy, especially in the United Kingdom
(UK), as some, including Hull's family, complained of a lack of cooperation into the British inquest
of the incident by the United States government and the UK's Ministry of Defense (MoD). The United States and UK MoD denied for a period of time that a video existed of the incident and then later admitted that a video existed but couldn't be released because it was classified
. On February 6, 2007 The Sun
tabloid newspaper obtained a copy of the cockpit video from the A-10 aircraft, which they released to the public on their website.
A UK investigation found that "procedures were not followed" by the two pilots. The UK board singled out "POPOV36" for criticism, stating, "POPOV36 showed a single-minded pursuit of the UK vehicles. There is no indication he was sensitive to POPOV35’s (the other A-10 involved) workload or the difficulties posed by addressing two possible targets at the same time." The Sun further stated that because his name was now public, Kohntopp could now be individually requested to appear before the British inquest, set to resume on March 12, 2007, into Matty Hull's death. As of February 9, 2007 Kohntopp was reported to be "in hiding."
On March 16, 2007, the Oxfordshire assistant deputy coroner Andrew Walker ruled that the killing of Matty Hull was, "unlawful and the result of a criminal attack" i.e. the official verdict was one of unlawful killing
.
Neither Kohntopp nor any other representative from the U.S. government appeared before or provided testimony to the inquest in spite of requests from the British coroner to do so.
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
fighter pilot with the Idaho Air National Guard
Idaho Air National Guard
The Idaho Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is, along with the Idaho Army National Guard, an element of the Idaho National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as its state mission....
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He currently holds the rank of colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
and is also a commercial pilot with Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
. He spent 14 years on active duty with the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
during which he flew the F-117 Nighthawk
F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
"stealth fighter." Kohntopp flew combat missions with the 190th Fighter Squadron
190th Fighter Squadron
The 190th Fighter Squadron flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II. It is a unit of the Idaho Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 124th Fighter Wing. The squadron was deployed to the Middle-East in 2003 to support the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
On February 6, 2007, Kohntopp was identified by the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
tabloid The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
as "POPOV36" (sometimes spelled in other sources as "POPOFF36"), the callsign for one of two A-10 aircraft involved in the March 28, 2003 friendly fire incident involving two United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
190th Fighter Squadron
190th Fighter Squadron
The 190th Fighter Squadron flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II. It is a unit of the Idaho Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 124th Fighter Wing. The squadron was deployed to the Middle-East in 2003 to support the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
attack aircraft and vehicles from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's D Squadron, The Blues and Royals
Blues and Royals
The Blues and Royals is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. The Colonel-in-Chief is Her Majesty The Queen and the Colonel is HRH The Princess Royal...
of the Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
, in which British soldier Matty Hull was killed. The incident, and subsequent English
English law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
inquest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
verdict of unlawful killing
Unlawful killing
In English law unlawful killing is a verdict that can be returned by an inquest in England and Wales when someone has been killed by one or several unknown persons. The verdict means that the killing was done without lawful excuse and in breach of criminal law. This includes murder, manslaughter,...
, were widely reported by the media, especially in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Early life
Kohntopp was born in Buhl, IdahoBuhl, Idaho
Buhl is a city located on the old Oregon Trail in the western half of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 4,037 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Twin Falls, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area....
(U.S.), the eldest of the four sons of Dean and Carolyn Kohntopp. Living on a farm, he was involved as a boy in raising cattle, working bean fields, and digging irrigation ditches. During his childhood and adolescence Kohntopp hunted and fished frequently, and was involved with 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
and Scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
. At age 14, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
.
On one occasion in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
around 1980, Kohntopp was riding motorcycles with friends in the Owyhee Mountains
Owyhee County, Idaho
Owyhee County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Idaho. In area it is the second largest county in Idaho, behind Idaho County. As of the 2000 Census, Owyhee County had a population of 10,644...
in southwest Idaho when they stopped to take a break. At that moment, two F-111s
General Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
from Mountain Home Air Force Base
Mountain Home Air Force Base
Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in southwestern Idaho, United States. The base is in Elmore County, 12 miles southwest of the city of Mountain Home, which is 40 miles southeast of Boise, via Interstate 84.The host unit at Mountain Home since 1972...
flew by below them, only 100 feet (30.5 m) above the ground. Kohntopp later said of that moment, "That was when I knew I wanted to fly." Shortly thereafter, he had the opportunity to ride in a cropdusting
Agricultural aircraft
An agricultural aircraft is an aircraft that has been built or converted for agricultural use - usually aerial application of pesticides or fertilizer ; in these roles they are referred to as "crop dusters" or "top dressers"...
helicopter during efforts to fight a severe infestation of "crop-destroying" grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
s that infested his family farm.
Kohntopp entered the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
in 1981. While at the university he was active in the FarmHouse
FarmHouse
FarmHouse Fraternity International, Inc. is an all-male international social fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a nationally recognized fraternity in 1921. FarmHouse is one of only three fraternities not to adopt Greek letters...
fraternity. During this time he traveled with his grandmother to visit distant relatives in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Of that trip, Kohntopp said, "What amazed us most was what we take for granted in the United States was mostly a luxury for these people. After that experience I knew I wanted to help protect our country's freedoms. The best way I felt to do this was to join the military." He applied for and was accepted into the university's Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps is one of the three primary commissioning sources for officers in the United States Air Force, the other two being the United States Air Force Academy and Air Force Officer Training School...
program. Kohntopp graduated in 1985 with a degree in computer science engineering.
Flying career
Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately north of Columbus, Mississippi.The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. The 14 FTW's mission is to provide specialized...
and graduated in the top 5% of his class. He chose the A-10 Thunderbolt II
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
(A-10) as the aircraft that he wished to fly. First, Kohntopp attended fighter "lead-in" training at Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
and then transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
to train in the A-10. His first assignment after graduating from the training was Suwon Air Base near Suwon
Suwon
Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety"....
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
where he spent 13 months.
After Suwon, Kohntopp was transferred to Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force facility, located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was established in 1940 as a World War II training base and was also used for coastal patrols during the war...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
for two years. At Myrtle Beach, he met his wife Saunie. Believing that the U.S. Air Force was about to deactivate its A-10 fleet, Kohntopp applied for and was accepted as a F-117 Nighthawk
F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
pilot, operating out of Tonopah Test Range
Tonopah Test Range
Tonopah Test Range , also known as Area 52, is a restricted military installation located about southeast of Tonopah, Nevada. It is part of the northern fringe of the Nellis Range, measuring . Tonopah Test Range is located about northwest of Groom Dry Lake, home of the Area 51 facility...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. During his time at Tonopah, he deployed twice to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. His F-117 unit then moved to Holloman Air Force Base, although Kohntopp and his family continued to maintain a home in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. He served as an instructor pilot for the F-117 and AT-38
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
for the next five years at Holloman.
After Holloman, Kohntopp served in a staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
position at United States Central Command
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
at MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In 1999, soon after the birth of his second child, Kohntopp decided to leave active duty and return to Idaho where he obtained a position as an A-10 pilot with the 190th Fighter Squadron
190th Fighter Squadron
The 190th Fighter Squadron flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II. It is a unit of the Idaho Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 124th Fighter Wing. The squadron was deployed to the Middle-East in 2003 to support the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
of the Idaho Air National Guard
Idaho Air National Guard
The Idaho Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is, along with the Idaho Army National Guard, an element of the Idaho National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as its state mission....
.
Kohntopp was hired as a first officer with Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
, a position that he held for six years before being promoted to captain in early 2006. During this time, the 190th Fighter Squadron with Kohntopp was deployed to Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
for four and one half months in support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. Kohntopp flew 27 combat missions in support of United States and United Kingdom military forces involved in the operation. Kohntopp called the deployment, "the epitome of my career" and he was awarded the Bronze Star for his performance during the operation. In late 2006 or early 2007, Kohntopp was promoted to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
Friendly fire incident
On March 28, 2003 two 190th A-10 Thunderbolt II
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
aircraft, flown by a major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
and a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
, flew a mission to destroy artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and rocket launchers from Iraq's 6th Armor Division, dug in 25 miles (40.2 km) north of Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
. During the mission, the two A-10 aircraft mistakenly attacked a patrol of four armored vehicles from D Squadron of the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
Blues and Royals
Blues and Royals
The Blues and Royals is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. The Colonel-in-Chief is Her Majesty The Queen and the Colonel is HRH The Princess Royal...
of the Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
that were supporting the 16 Air Assault Brigade in Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
. As a result of the strafing
Strafing
Strafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. This means, that although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied with bombing or rocket fire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the...
runs made by the 190th A-10 aircraft, British Lance-Corporal of Horse
Lance-Corporal of Horse
Lance-corporal of horse is an appointment unique to the Household Cavalry of the British Army, equivalent to lance sergeant in the Foot Guards. It was introduced in 1971...
Matty Hull was killed and five of his colleagues were injured, four seriously. The cause of injury to the victims was multiple shrapnel wounds and burns
Burn (injury)
A burn is a type of injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation or friction. Most burns affect only the skin . Rarely, deeper tissues, such as muscle, bone, and blood vessels can also be injured...
. At least two FV107 Scimitar
FV107 Scimitar
FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the British Army. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps, Armoured Regiments in the Reconnaissance role...
armored vehicles were destroyed and an FV103 Spartan
FV103 Spartan
FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier of the British Army. It was developed as the APC variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family. The vehicle can carry up to 7 personnel, including 3 crew members. Armed with a single machine gun, it is almost indistinguishable from the...
was damaged during the incident. The British newspaper, The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, on February 6, 2007 identified one of the two A-10 pilots involved, the "Lieutenant Colonel" who used "POPOV36" as his callsign during the incident, as Gus Kohntopp.
The aftermath of the attack caused controversy, especially in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(UK), as some, including Hull's family, complained of a lack of cooperation into the British inquest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
of the incident by the United States government and the UK's Ministry of Defense (MoD). The United States and UK MoD denied for a period of time that a video existed of the incident and then later admitted that a video existed but couldn't be released because it was classified
Classified information
Classified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
. On February 6, 2007 The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
tabloid newspaper obtained a copy of the cockpit video from the A-10 aircraft, which they released to the public on their website.
A UK investigation found that "procedures were not followed" by the two pilots. The UK board singled out "POPOV36" for criticism, stating, "POPOV36 showed a single-minded pursuit of the UK vehicles. There is no indication he was sensitive to POPOV35’s (the other A-10 involved) workload or the difficulties posed by addressing two possible targets at the same time." The Sun further stated that because his name was now public, Kohntopp could now be individually requested to appear before the British inquest, set to resume on March 12, 2007, into Matty Hull's death. As of February 9, 2007 Kohntopp was reported to be "in hiding."
On March 16, 2007, the Oxfordshire assistant deputy coroner Andrew Walker ruled that the killing of Matty Hull was, "unlawful and the result of a criminal attack" i.e. the official verdict was one of unlawful killing
Unlawful killing
In English law unlawful killing is a verdict that can be returned by an inquest in England and Wales when someone has been killed by one or several unknown persons. The verdict means that the killing was done without lawful excuse and in breach of criminal law. This includes murder, manslaughter,...
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Neither Kohntopp nor any other representative from the U.S. government appeared before or provided testimony to the inquest in spite of requests from the British coroner to do so.