A US Air Force SR-71 Blackbird Totally Disintegrated at Mach 3.18 and the Pilot Was ‘Ripped Out of the Aircraft’ and Made Military History

Automatically curated summary from 19FortyFive.

Author Harrison Kass recounts the January 25, 1966 breakup of a U.S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird flying at Mach 3.18 and 79,000 feet. Testing an aft center of gravity to reduce trim drag, pilot Bill Weaver experienced a right-inlet unstart that overwhelmed the aircraft's stability augmentation system, causing the jet to disintegrate in seconds. Weaver's harness tore and he was thrown clear without ejecting, surviving due to his pressurized suit, while backseater Jim Zwayer died from a fatal neck injury.

Context and limitations

Based on a single retrospective account of a historical 1966 test flight; specific technical details and survival circumstances reflect the author's narrative.