( CNN ) -- Weeks after a firefight in southern Afghanistan 's Helmand Province , a story has emerged of a British pilot who was struck in the head by a bullet and still managed to safely land a helicopter full of casualties , medical personnel and troops . British TV host Mike Brewer says he was onboard the Chinook that day as Flight Lt. Ian Fortune , 28 , was shot in the helmet , just above his eyes . Brewer , who was accompanied by a cameraman , was filming a series called `` Frontline Battle Machines '' for the Discovery Channel and was aboard Fortune 's helicopter because it is the only surviving aircraft from the Falklands War , making it the oldest serving Chinook in the fleet . He told CNN Saturday that he expected that flight that took off about three weeks ago to be a relatively routine trip to pick up wounded Afghan soldiers . `` Instead , the Chinook `` landed in a firefight , '' Brewer said . `` There was a battle going on . On the way in we could never have imagined it would become this kind of mission . '' Immediately after takeoff , the aircraft `` took a big shudder , '' someone called `` mayday , mayday '' on the radio , Brewer said , adding that he heard Fortune saying he had been shot in the face . Brewer said at this point , `` I was thinking it as the end of my days , and I was about to plummet to my death . '' Still , Fortune was able to get the 20 or so people aboard the Chinook -- including a half-dozen injured Afghan troops -- back to Camp Bastion safely , he said . `` The aircraft controls were damaged . It was a lot of trouble to keep us in the air , '' Brewer said . `` I spoke to the co-pilot later . He said Ian would not let go of the controls . Even with blood pouring into his eyes , he would not let go . '' A spokeswoman with Britain 's Ministry of Defence confirmed that Fortune 's helmet was struck by a bullet in an incident in the region several weeks ago , and that he sustained minor injuries . While she could n't confirm the number of people aboard the helicopter , she did say Fortune landed the aircraft safely at Camp Bastion -- the main British base in Helmand province . The spokeswoman said Fortune was not speaking publicly about the incident . The story was first reported by London , England 's `` The Sun '' on Friday , though why it was published weeks after the incident was not immediately clear . Brewer 's documentary was originally slated to air in May , but has been rescheduled for the end of this year . Meanwhile , Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid a surprise visit to British troops in Afghanistan on Saturday , his office said . He went to Camp Bastion , the main British base in Helmand Province , as well as a police training college and a British forward operating base , or outpost , according to 10 Downing Street . Brown 's office told news outlets of his visit to Afghanistan while he was in the country but asked that it not be reported until he left . CNN complied with the request . As Brown was making his visit , the Ministry of Defence announced a British soldier had been killed in Afghanistan on Friday . CNN 's Jennifer Deaton , Khadijah Rentas and Caroline Paterson contributed to this report .
British pilot , struck in the head by a bullet , manages to land helicopter full of casualties . His helmet was struck by bullet and he sustained minor injuries , after landing in a firefight . Pilot was evacuating casualties from southern Afghanistan 's Helmand Province . Though aircraft 's controls were damaged , pilot was able to keep Chinook in the air .