Simviation Forum - Scott Crossfield's missing plane

Apr 20^th, 2006 at 1:13pm

Felix/FFDS Offline
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According to CNN, Scott Crossfield's plane is missing on a flight....

Scott (now 84) is considered the first man to fly faster than twice the speed of sound in an X-15<?>, in 1953¹

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/20/georgia.plane/index.html

I hope it's just an emergency landing somewhere.

¹ I want to think that it's a typo, since I believe that the X-15 is a product of the '60s, not early 50s. Possibly the X-5 Stilletto?

Felix/FFDS

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Reply #1 - Apr 20^th, 2006 at 1:48pm

Hagar Offline
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Quote:

According to CNN, Scott Crossfield's plane is missing on a flight....

I hope it's just an emergency landing somewhere.

Indeed.

Quote:

Scott (now 84) is considered the first man to fly faster than twice the speed of sound in an X-15<?>, in 1953¹

¹ I want to think that it's a typo, since I believe that the X-15 is a product of the '60s, not early 50s. Possibly the X-5 Stilletto?

According to this it was the D-558-II Skyrocket. He also made the first flight in the X-15 so it's actually correct.* http://www.edwards.af.mil/history/docs_html/people/pilot_crossfield.html

*PS. This is what it actually says in that CNN article. Quote:

Crossfield, 84, was the first man to fly the X-15 rocket-powered jet and made aeronautical history in 1953 by becoming the first pilot to fly faster than Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound).

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Reply #2 - Apr 20^th, 2006 at 2:13pm

Airshow_lover Offline
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AND on a personnal note:

The civil air patrol was sent out to search for the plane and or pilot

C/SMSgt - Civil Air Patrol

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Reply #3 - Apr 20^th, 2006 at 2:21pm

beaky Offline
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Bad news, as I feared:

http://www.wral.com/apnationalnews/8857125/detail.html

Cry

I haven't seen any info on aircraft type, weather, etc.

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Reply #4 - Apr 20^th, 2006 at 3:32pm

Airshow_lover Offline
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Quote:

I haven't seen any info on aircraft type, weather, etc.

It was a cessna.

Story From FOX

C/SMSgt - Civil Air Patrol

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Reply #5 - Apr 20^th, 2006 at 9:01pm

beefhole Offline
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Just heard the news from my dad.

What a way to go for one of the most famous test pilots ever. Embarrassed

I mean 84.... geez... pilot right to the end. Good for him.

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Reply #6 - Apr 20^th, 2006 at 10:49pm

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Quote:

What a way to go for one of the most famous test pilots ever. Embarrassed

I mean 84.... geez... pilot right to the end. Good for him.

Nothing more to say........very sad, and very true Sad

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Reply #7 - Apr 20^th, 2006 at 11:44pm

beaky Offline
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Quote:

Just heard the news from my dad.

What a way to go for one of the most famous test pilots ever. Embarrassed

I mean 84.... geez... pilot right to the end. Good for him.

I was thinking the same thing. But it's hard to say whether or not it's a fitting end- I've never heard a pilot express a desire to go that way (I sure don't!), but on the other hand, he'll never have to make the painful decision to ground himself.
At any rate, he had a damn good run, and he leaves us with a valuable lesson: Even the best of us can be struck down, through error or bad luck. Whatever happened, I'm sure he did his very best and didn't give up, and we should follow that example.

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Reply #8 - Apr 20^th, 2006 at 11:47pm