Col. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager's NF-104A - Mojave, California, USA - Plane Crash Sites on Waymarking.com

A NF-104A, 56-0762 On December 10, 1963, Col. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager climbed to 35,000 feet about 100 miles from Edwards. He headed for the desert base. Col. Yeager ignited the rocket assist, passing through 60,000 feet when the jet engine flamed out from oxygen starvation at high altitude. The NF-104A's went onto 104,000 feet with rockets. Yeager wanted to re-ignite his jet engine at 40,000 feet while in his dive, but jet's angle of attack reached 28 degrees upward the nose pitched up. The wingtip rocket thrusters had no effect in the spin. His aircraft soon entered a deadly flat spin. Without airflow into the jet intakes, Yeager could not restart the engine. He attempted to drop the jet's nose by deploying the drag chute at 17,000 feet. After the chute was deployed the aircraft's nose pitched up for a second time wildly. The aircraft continued to flat spin heading for the desert floor. After 13 spins, Yeager ejected at 7,000 feet. His seat tumbled with him and became entangled in the parachute lines. The ejection seat struck Yeager's helmet face plate. It smashed the Plexiglas and burning fuel from the jet ejector charge ignited the rubber helmet seal as pure oxygen poured out from his suit. The jet's air frame blasted a hole in the desert several miles north of Mojave. Maj. Robert W. Smith and Phil Neale arrived for rescue and they found Col. Yeager standing near the wreck. He had sustained severe burns, but survived. The accident investigation found no sign of aircraft failure or system's malfunction. Yoou Tube video entry LINK:https://youtu.be/ha_WSiSIRTk

Web Address for Related Web Sites: [Web Link] Date of Crash: 12/10/1963 Aircraft Model: NF-104A Military or Civilian: Military Tail Number: 60760 Cause of Crash: The accident investigation found no sign of aircraft failure or systems malfunction.

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