SUBJECT: LOST BLACKBIRDS FILE: UFO2143
** Courtesy of Albert Dobyns **
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� If you've ever wondered about the Lockheed A-12, YF-12, SR-71 ���
� planes that were lost, this list is for you! The information �
� in this list is a combination of information in four books: �
� AEROFAX MINIGRAPH 1 SR-71 (A-12/YF-12/D-21) by Jay Miller �
� LOCKHEED SR-71 THE SECRET MISSIONS EXPOSED Paul F Crickmore �
� LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD also by Paul F Crickmore �
� LOCKHEED BLACKBIRDS by Anthony Thornborough and Peter Davies. �
� All aircraft are listed by their original Air Force serial numbers. �
� �
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� 60-6926 � A-12 � �
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� This was the second A-12 to fly but the first to crash. On 24 May �
� 1963, CIA pilot Ken Collins was flying an inertial navigation �
� system test mission. After entering clouds, frozen water fouled �
� the pitot-static boom and prevented correct information from reach- �
� ing the standby flight instruments and the Triple Display Indicator.�
� The aircraft subsequently entered a stall and control was lost com- �
� pletely followed by the onset of an inverted flat spin. The pilot �
� ejected safely. The wreckage was recovered in two days and persons �
� at the scene were indentified and requested to sign secrecy �
� agreements. A cover story for the press described the accident as �
� occurring to an F-105, and is still listed in this way on official �
� records. �
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� 60-6928 � A-12 � �
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� This aircraft was lost on 5 January 1967 during a training sortie �
� flown from Groom Lake. Following the onset of a fuel emergency �
� caused by a failing fuel gauge, the aircraft ran out of fuel only �
� minutes before landing. CIA pilot Walter Ray was forced to eject. �
� Unfortunately the ejection seat man-seat separation sequence �
� malfunctioned, and Ray was killed on impact with the ground, �
� still strapped to his seat. �
� �
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� 60-6929 � A-12 � �
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� This aircraft was lost on 28 December 1967 seven seconds into an �
� FCF (Functional Check Flight) from Groom Lake performed by CIA �
� pilot Mel Vojvodich. The SAS (Stability Augmentation System) had �
� been incorrectly wired up, and the pilot was unable to control the �
� aircraft 100 feet above the runway. The pilot ejected safely. A �
� similar accident occurred when the first production Lockheed F-117 �
� was flown on 20 April 1982 by Bill Park. It's control system had �
� been hooked up incorrectly. Bill Park survived the accident but �
� had injuries serious enough to remove him from flight status. �
� �
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� 60-6932 � A-12 � �
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� This aircraft was lost in the South China Sea on 5 June 1968. CIA �
� pilot Jack Weeks was flying what was to be the last operational �
� A-12 mission from the overseas A-12 base at Kadena AB, Okinawa. �
� The loss was due to an inflight emergency, and the pilot did not �
� survive. Once again the official news release identified the lost �
� aircraft as an SR-71 and security was maintained. A few days later �
� the two remaining planes on Okinawa flew to the US and were stored �
� with the remainder of the OXCART family. �
� �
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� 60-6934 � YF-12A � � 2 �
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� This aircraft, the 1st YF-12A, was seriously damaged on 14 August �
� 1966 during a landing accident at Edwards AFB. The rear half �
� was later used to build the SR-71C (64-17981) which flew for the �
� first time on March 14 1969. �
� �
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� 60-6936 � YF-12A � �
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� This aircraft, the third YF-12A, was lost on 24 June 1971 in an �
� accident at Edwards AFB. Lt Col Ronald J Layton and systems �
� operator William A Curtis were approaching the traffic pattern �
� when a fire broke out due to a fuel line fracture caused by metal �
� fatigue. The flames quickly enveloped the entire aircraft and on �
� the base leg both crewmembers ejected. '936 was totally destroyed. �
� �
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� 60-6939 � A-12 � �
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� This aircraft was lost on approach to Groom Lake on 9 July 1964 �
� following a Mach 3 check flight. On approach, the flight controls �
� locked up, and Lockheed test pilot Bill Park was forced to eject �
� at an altitude of 200 feet in a 45 degree bank angle! �
� �
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� 60-6941 � A-12 � �
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� This was the second A-12 to be converted to an M-12 for launching �
� the D-21 reconnaissance drone. During a flight test on 30 July �
� 1966 for launching the drone, the drone pitched down and struck �
� the M-12, breaking it in half. Pilot Bill Park and LCO (Launch �
� Control Officer) Ray Torick stayed with the plane a short time �
� before ejecting over the Pacific Ocean. Both made safe ejections, �
� but Ray Torick drowned before he could be rescued. This terrible �
� personal and professional loss drove "Kelly" Johnson to cancel the �
� M-12/D-21 program. �
� �
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� 64-17950 � SR-71A � �
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� The prototype SR-71 was lost on 10 January 1967 at Edwards during �
� an anti-skid braking system evaluation. The main undercarriage �
� tires blew out and the resulting fire in the magnesium wheels �
� spread to the rest of the aircraft as it ran off the end of the �
� runway. Lockheed test pilot Art Peterson survived. �
� �
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� 64-17952 � SR-71A � �
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� This aircraft disintegrated on 25 January 1966 during a high-speed, �
� high-altitude test flight when it developed a severe case of engine �
� unstart. Lockheed test pilot Bill Weaver survived although his �
� ejection seat never left the plane! RSO (Reconnaissance System �
� Officer) Jim Zwayer died in a high-G bailout. The incident occurred �
� near Tucumcari, New Mexico. �
� �
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� 64-17953 � SR-71A � � 3 �
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� This aircraft was lost on 18 December 1969 after an inflight �
� explosion and subsequent high-speed stall. Lt Col Joe Rogers and �
� RSO Lt Col Garry Heidelbaugh ejected safely. The precise cause �
� of the explosion has never be determined. The incident occurred �
� near Shoshone, California. �
� �
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� 64-17954 � SR-71A � �
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� This aircraft was demolished on 11 April 1969 under circumstances �
� similar to 64-17950. New aluminum wheels and stronger tires with �
� a beefed up compound were retrofitted to all SR-71's. Lt Col Bill �
� Skliar and his RSO Major Noel Warner managed to escape uninjured. �
� �
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� 64-17957 � SR-71B � �
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� This aircraft was the second SR-71B built for the Air Force. It �
� crashed on approach to Beale on 11 January 1968 when instructor �
� pilot Lt Col Robert G. Sowers and his "student" Captain David E. �
� Fruehauf were forced to eject about 7 miles from Beale after all �
� control was lost. The plane had suffered a double generator �
� failure followed by a double flameout (caused by fuel cavitation) �
� and pancaked upside down in a farmer's field. �
� �
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� 64-17965 � SR-71A � �
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� This aircraft was lost on 25 October 1967 after an INS platform �
� failed, leading to erroneous attitude information being displayed �
� in the cockpit. During a night flight, the INS gyro had tumbled. �
� There were no warning lights to alert pilot Captain Roy L. St. �
� Martin and RSO Captain John F Carnochan. In total darkness, in a �
� steep dive and no external visual references available, the crew �
� had little alternative. They were able to eject safely. The �
� incident occurred near Lovelock, Nevada. �
� �
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� 64-17966 � SR-71A � �
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� Lost on the evening of 13 April 1967 after the aircraft entered a �
� subsonic, high-speed stall. Pilot Captain Earle M. Boone and RSO �
� Captain Richard E. Sheffield ejected safely. The incident occurred �
� near Las Vegas, Nevada. �
� �
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� 64-17969 � SR-71A � �
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� Lost on 10 May 1970 during an operational mission, from Kadena, �
� against North Vietnam. Shortly after air-refueling, the pilot, �
� Major William E. Lawson initiated a normal full power climb. �
� Stretching before him was a solid bank of cloud containing heavy �
� thunderstorm activity which reached above 45,000'. Heavy with �
� fuel, the aircraft was unable to maintain a high rate of climb, �
� and as it entered turbulence both engines flamed out. The RPM �
� dropped to a level too low for restarting the engines. Pilot �
� and RSO, Major Gilbert Martinez ejected safely after the aircraft �
� stalled. The plane crashed near Korat RTAFB, Thailand. �
� �
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� 64-17970 � SR-71A � � 4 �
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� Lost on 17 June 1970 following a post-tanking collision with the �
� KC-135 tanker. Lt Col "Buddy" L. Brown and his RSO Maj Mortimer �
� Javis ejected safely although both legs of the pilot were broken. �
� The SR-71 crashed 20 miles east of El Paso, Texas, but the KC-135 �
� limped back to Beale AFB with a damaged fin. �
� �
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� 64-17974 � SR-71A � �
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� This aircraft was lost on 21 April 1989 over the South China Sea �
� and is the last loss of any Blackbird as of December 1991. Pilot �
� Lt Col Dan House said the left engine blew up and shrapnel from �
� it hit the right-side hydraulic lines, causing a loss of flight �
� controls. House and RSO Blair Bozek ejected and came down safely �
� in the ocean. They had been able to broadcast their position �
� before abandoning the Blackbird, and rescue forces were immediately �
� on the way. However the crew were rescued by native fisherman. �
� The local chieftain's new throne is Colonel House's ejection seat! �
� �
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� 64-17977 � SR-71A � �
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� This aircraft ended its career in flames by skidding 1000 feet off �
� the end of runway 14 at Beale on 10 October 1968. The takeoff was �
� aborted when a wheel assembly failed. Major James A. Kogler was �
� ordered to eject, but pilot Major Gabriel Kardong elected to stay �
� with the aircraft. Both officers survived. �
� �
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� 64-17978 � SR-71A � �
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� Nicknamed the "Rapid Rabbit", this aircraft was written off on �
� 20 July 1972 during the roll out phase of its landing. The pilot, �
� Captain Dennis K. Bush, had practised a rapid deploy-jettison of �
� the braking parachute. A go-around was initiated after the chute �
� was jettisoned. On the next landing attempt, the aircraft touched �
� down slightly "hot" but had no chute to reduce the aircraft's �
� speed. The pilot was unable to keep the plane on the runway. A �
� wheel truck hit a concrete barrier. The aircraft suffered signif- �
� icant damage. The pilot and the RSO, Captian James W. Fagg, �
� escaped without injury. �
� �
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� �
� A total of 20 Lockheed Blackbirds have been lost due to a variety �
� of accidents; however, not one was shot down by unfriendly forces! �
� Broken down by type: �
� A-12 M-12 YF-12 SR-71A SR-71B SR-71C �
� No. of aircraft built: 13 2 3 29 2 1 �
� No. of aircraft lost: 5 1 2* 11 1 0 �
� �
� * - SR-71C (64-17981) was built using the read half of YF-12A �
� 60-6934 (rear half) and functional engineering mockup of the �
� SR-71A forward fuselage. �
� �
� Last updated 28 July 1993 �
� �
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