To be clear; they didn't go into this rescue planning to lose $300 million of equipment, and a high level of dedication to rescueing stranded personel clearly has great value for morale and future recruiting, but what exactly do you see as "the consequences of losing an <single> airman to the enemy"??
$300m is small change in comparison to the immense propaganda value Iran would have gained from capturing this airman. It would have completely changed the tone of the eventual negotiations.