I believe he was running out of fuel and he was too low to eject.
As real as it can get... scary stuff. This film managed to capture the horrors of war with little to no dialogue.
IMAX did justice for this film. The roaring sounds of the planes, the gunfire, the explosions - - incredible.

Dare I say, this is one of those rare films you have to see on IMAX to truly grasp the nature/horrors of the story.