Scott Hutchins

resilient duty-bound laconic vulnerable

Scott Hutchins is a United States Air Force F-117 pilot whose downing near Iraqi Republican Guard positions becomes the human fulcrum of a White House crisis. The administration learns he is a 26-year-old from Rhode Island and elevates his recovery into a political and moral imperative. After being rescued, Hutchins checks in with senior leaders: he reports clearing Iraqi airspace and is en route to Tel Aviv with a sprained ankle. He anchors the episode’s shift from tactical calculation to personal responsibility.

5 appearances

Also known as: Captain Hutchins, Scott Hutchins, Hutchins

Scott Hutchins's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

5 moments

S1E22 · What Kind Of Day Has It Been

Pilot on the Line — Bartlet's Ultimatum

Not present; treated as endangered and morally weighty by leadership.

Captain Scott Hutchins is the human fulcrum of the scene: named, aged and hometowned by the President; though absent, he is immediately the subject of rescue urgency and the emotional …

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S1E22 · What Kind Of Day Has It Been

Leo's Moral Rebuke and the 'Good News' Signal

Implied fear, exhaustion, and isolation given his physical circumstance; emotionally absent from the room but central to its moral gravity.

Scott Hutchins is not present but is the human subject of the argument: described as having been 'blown out of the sky', stranded in the Iraqi desert, potentially injured and …

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S1E22 · What Kind Of Day Has It Been

A Report, a Carpet, and a Call

Relieved and tired — buoyed by rescue and attention, likely focused on recovery and the logistics of getting home safely.

Captain Scott Hutchins does not appear physically but participates audibly via phone: Fitzwallace connects him to the Oval and he confirms he has cleared Iraqi airspace and is en route …

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S1E22 · What Kind Of Day Has It Been

Fitzwallace Arrives — Bad News Becomes Good News

Relieved and composed, focused on reporting his status succinctly and moving forward to the next waypoint.

Present only through the secure phone line: he reports clearing Iraqi airspace, confirms he is en route to Tel Aviv, and describes his physical condition (a sprained ankle).

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S1E22 · What Kind Of Day Has It Been

Hutchins Recovered — The President's Personal Call

Tired and pragmatic with a muted relief — focused on getting medical care and moving to safety rather than dramatizing his rescue.

Present only via telephone: he reports clearing Iraqi airspace and being en route to Tel Aviv, mentions a sprained ankle; he becomes the human focus of the Oval's sudden relief …

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