18th Dec 1969

[antarmike]

Lockheed SR-71A, 61-7953, crashes near Shoshone, California during test flight out of Edwards Air Force Base, California. Pilot Lt. Col. Joe Rogers and RSO Lt. Col. Gary Heidelbaugh eject safely.

 

[antarmike]

The crash followed a mid-air explosion. No cause was ever identified.

[Jessie The Jeep]

That was my birthday too!

 

Steve

[antarmike]

Happy Birthday then!!!!

[Jessie The Jeep]

It still amazes me how futuristic the SR-71 looks, even today.

[antarmike]

I didn't realise how many had been lost either...

http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/srloss~1.htm

http://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/losses.php

but these two registers give differing accounts of this particular loss

Edited December 19, 2008 by antarmike

[Jessie The Jeep]

20!!! Never knew that. I knew a few, but not 20.

[antarmike]

The other one that totally surprises me is Hercules losses, I'll have to look up how many, and I know it is an old plane now, but they seem to loose over the expected amount by quite a margin...

[abn deuce]

the Herks that were lost , would that include those lost on the ground in combat areas as well as those lost while flying ? Much was asked of those planes to fly pushing the limits of crew and cargo in awful weather into remote primitive sites and so the number lost could be higher .

[antarmike]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_C-130_Hercules_crashes

Sorry can't be bothered to count them!!!!

Edited December 19, 2008 by antarmike