60-6939

photo courtesy Lockheed Martin
Photos of this particular bird are extremely rare, as she had a whopping total of 8.3 hours of flight time accumulated when she crashed on approach to Groom Dry Lake on Thursday, July 9, 1964.  Her complete flight history is as follows:

Date Flight # Duration Pilot Max Alt Max MACH Notes
27-May-64 1 0:49 redacted redacted redacted USAF acceptance flight
2-Jun-64 2 1:07 redacted 69000 2.6M Functional Check Flight for right engine
5-Jun-64 3 0:51 redacted redacted 2.61M previous flight of 3 June aborted
19-Jun-64 4 0:59 Bill Park redacted 2.5M FCF, released for flight
23-Jun-64 5 0:27 redacted redacted redacted landing gear handle would only go to neutral when retracting gear
24-Jun-64 6 0:50 redacted redacted 2.35M  
26-Jun-64 7 0:47 redacted redacted redacted  
7-Jul-64 8 0:29 Bill Park redacted redacted FCF, aircraft released for flight
7-Jul-64 9 0:49 redacted redacted redacted  
9-Jul-64 10 1:10 Bill Park 78000 2.8M final flight, loss of airframe
Source: CIA FOIA documentation




According to the official report, "Aircraft No. 133 [939] was making its final approach to the runway when at altitude of 500 feet and airspeed of 200 knots it began a smooth steady roll to the left.  Lockheed test pilot Bill Park could not overcome the roll.  At about a 45 degree bank angle and 200 foot altitude he ejected.  As he swung down to the vertical in the parachute his feet touched the ground, for what must have been one of the narrower escapes in the perilous history of test piloting.  The primary cause of the accident was that the servos for the right ourboard roll and pitch control froze."

Pilot Bill Park ejected safely, only to endure another ejection a few years later in an M/D-21.  He is the only pilot with the dubious honor of bailing out of more than one blackbird.

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