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 . British pilot , struck in the head by a bullet , managed to land helicopter full of civilians . His helmet was struck by bullet and he sustained minor injuries , after engaging in a firefight . Pilot was evacuating civilians from southern Afghanistan 's Helmand Province . Though aircraft 's controls were damaged , pilot was able to keep aircraft in the air .
British pilot , struck in the head by a bullet , managed to land helicopter full of civilians . His helmet was struck by bullet and he sustained minor injuries , after engaging in a firefight . Pilot was evacuating civilians from southern Afghanistan 's Helmand Province . Though aircraft 's controls were damaged , pilot was able to keep aircraft in the air .