SCOTT CROSSFIELD'D PLANE MISSING! - Aircraft of World War II

FLYBOYJ · 04-20-2006, 02:06 PM

Renowned Test Pilot's Plane Missing in Ga. 6 minutes ago

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Search teams combed the forests of northern Georgia Thursday for a missing airplane registered to legendary test pilot Scott Crossfield, the first man to fly at twice the speed of sound.

Officials didn't know whether Crossfield was in the single-engine plane when it left Alabama for Virginia on Wednesday morning.

The plane was last spotted on radar later that day over Georgia, north of Atlanta, the Civil Air Patrol's Georgia Wing said. The patrol does not "have any confirmation who the pilot was," Capt. Paige Joyner said.

A man who answered the phone at Crossfield's home in Herndon, Va., declined to say whether Crossfield was missing and referred questions to the Civil Air Patrol.

Crossfield, now 84, was one of a group of civilian pilots assembled by the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, the forerunner of NASA, in the early 1950s.

Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager had already broken the speed of sound in his history-making flight in 1947. Crossfield set the Mach 2 record — twice the speed of sound — in 1953, when he reached 1,300 mph in NACA's Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket.

In 1960, Crossfield reached Mach 2.97in an X-15 rocket plane launched from a B-52 bomber. The plane reached an altitude of 81,000 feet. At the time, Crossfield was working as a pilot and design consultant for North American Aviation, which made the X-15. He later worked as an executive for Eastern Airlines and Hawker Siddley Aviation.

More recently, Crossfield had a key role in preparations for the attempt to re-enact the Wright brothers' flight on the 100th anniversary of their feat near Kitty Hawk, N.C. He trained four pilots for the Dec. 17, 2003, flight attempt in a replica of the brothers' flyer, but poor weather prevented the take-off.

Among his many honors, Crossfield was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983.

The missing plane left Prattville, Ala., around 9 a.m. Wednesday en route to Manassas, Va. Search crews from the Civil Air Patrol were conducting an air and ground search along the flight path, focusing on a hilly, forested region of north-central Georgia.

lesofprimus · 04-20-2006, 02:21 PM

Damn....

evangilder · 04-20-2006, 03:13 PM

I heard about this earlier. I hope everything turns out ok.

evangilder · 04-20-2006, 03:41 PM

Just in...

Quote:

Legendary Pilot Scott Crossfield Found Dead Among Plane Wreckage
Thursday, April 20, 2006

PHOTOS

Click image to enlarge
RANGER, Ga. — Legendary test pilot Scott Crossfield, the first man to fly at twice the speed of sound, was found dead Thursday in the wreckage of a single-engine plane in the mountains of northern Georgia, his son-in-law said.

Searchers discovered the wreckage of a small plane about 50 miles northwest of Atlanta, but the Civil Air Patrol didn't immediately identify the body inside.

Ed Fleming, Crossfield's son-in-law, told The Associated Press from Crossfield's home in Herndon, Va., that family had been told it was Crossfield.

Crossfield's Cessna was last spotted in the same area on Wednesday while on flight from Alabama to Virginia. There were thunderstorms in the area when officials lost radar and radio contact with the plane at 11:15 a.m., said Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Crossfield, 84, had been one of a group of civilian pilots assembled by the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, the forerunner of NASA, in the early 1950s.

Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager had already broken the speed of sound in his history-making flight in 1947. But Crossfield set the Mach 2 record — twice the speed of sound — in 1953, when he reached 1,300 mph in NACA's Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket.

n 1960, Crossfield reached Mach 2.97 in an X-15 rocket plane launched from a B-52 bomber. The plane reached an altitude of 81,000 feet. At the time, Crossfield was working as a pilot and design consultant for North American Aviation, which made the X-15. He later worked as an executive for Eastern Airlines and Hawker Siddley Aviation.

More recently, Crossfield had a key role in preparations for the attempt to re-enact the Wright brothers' flight on the 100th anniversary of their feat near Kitty Hawk, N.C. He trained four pilots for the Dec. 17, 2003, flight attempt in a replica of the brothers' flyer, but poor weather prevented the take-off.

Among his many honors, Crossfield was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983.

On Wednesday, his plane had left Prattville, Ala., around 9 a.m. en route to Manassas, Va., not far from his home.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192432,00.html

Damn.

syscom3 · 04-20-2006, 03:45 PM

Weve lost another aviation giant!

FLYBOYJ · 04-20-2006, 04:11 PM

I met him about 5 years ago - A great loss.....

evangilder · 04-20-2006, 04:14 PM

Indeed, a terrible loss.

R988 · 04-20-2006, 04:34 PM

at least he died doing what he loved

Henk · 04-20-2006, 07:00 PM

That is very sad to hear. Just the other day I saw a movie about him and enjoyed watching it very much. A great loss indeed.

Henk

Nonskimmer · 04-20-2006, 07:06 PM

Well sonuvabitch. Too bad.

Gnomey · 04-20-2006, 07:30 PM

Shame

Maestro · 04-20-2006, 08:44 PM

04-20-2006, 02:06 PM	#1
FLYBOYJ IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 16,051	SCOTT CROSSFIELD'D PLANE MISSING! Renowned Test Pilot's Plane Missing in Ga. 6 minutes ago LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Search teams combed the forests of northern Georgia Thursday for a missing airplane registered to legendary test pilot Scott Crossfield, the first man to fly at twice the speed of sound. Officials didn't know whether Crossfield was in the single-engine plane when it left Alabama for Virginia on Wednesday morning. The plane was last spotted on radar later that day over Georgia, north of Atlanta, the Civil Air Patrol's Georgia Wing said. The patrol does not "have any confirmation who the pilot was," Capt. Paige Joyner said. A man who answered the phone at Crossfield's home in Herndon, Va., declined to say whether Crossfield was missing and referred questions to the Civil Air Patrol. Crossfield, now 84, was one of a group of civilian pilots assembled by the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, the forerunner of NASA, in the early 1950s. Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager had already broken the speed of sound in his history-making flight in 1947. Crossfield set the Mach 2 record — twice the speed of sound — in 1953, when he reached 1,300 mph in NACA's Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket. In 1960, Crossfield reached Mach 2.97in an X-15 rocket plane launched from a B-52 bomber. The plane reached an altitude of 81,000 feet. At the time, Crossfield was working as a pilot and design consultant for North American Aviation, which made the X-15. He later worked as an executive for Eastern Airlines and Hawker Siddley Aviation. More recently, Crossfield had a key role in preparations for the attempt to re-enact the Wright brothers' flight on the 100th anniversary of their feat near Kitty Hawk, N.C. He trained four pilots for the Dec. 17, 2003, flight attempt in a replica of the brothers' flyer, but poor weather prevented the take-off. Among his many honors, Crossfield was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1983. The missing plane left Prattville, Ala., around 9 a.m. Wednesday en route to Manassas, Va. Search crews from the Civil Air Patrol were conducting an air and ground search along the flight path, focusing on a hilly, forested region of north-central Georgia. __________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"

04-20-2006, 02:21 PM	#2
lesofprimus Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi Posts: 17,503	Damn.... __________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk

04-20-2006, 03:13 PM	#3
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	I heard about this earlier. I hope everything turns out ok. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

04-20-2006, 03:45 PM	#5
syscom3 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 10,283	Weve lost another aviation giant! __________________ "Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?"

04-20-2006, 04:11 PM	#6
FLYBOYJ IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 16,051	I met him about 5 years ago - A great loss..... __________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"

04-20-2006, 04:14 PM	#7
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	Indeed, a terrible loss. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

04-20-2006, 04:34 PM	#8
R988 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Londonium Posts: 609	at least he died doing what he loved __________________ Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.

04-20-2006, 07:00 PM	#9
Henk Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: George - South Africa Posts: 2,780	That is very sad to hear. Just the other day I saw a movie about him and enjoyed watching it very much. A great loss indeed. Henk __________________ The ultimate revolution in aircraft designs during WW2

04-20-2006, 07:06 PM	#10
Nonskimmer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 8,871	Well sonuvabitch. Too bad.

04-20-2006, 07:30 PM	#11
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 15,224	Shame __________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

04-20-2006, 08:44 PM	#12
Maestro Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Beaupré, Province of Québec, Canada Posts: 2,381	__________________ Maestro http://www.yantremblay.com/

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
The 9th FS Unit History... Nov 1944 - Sept 1945....	lesofprimus	Stories	12	12-10-2006 07:06 PM
Did Pentagon create orbital space plane?	syscom3	Modern	3	03-06-2006 02:06 PM
WWII ace, author Robert L. Scott dies	Royzee617	Aviation	6	03-01-2006 08:27 PM
The Best Bf - 109 Variant ?	lesofprimus	Aviation	522	07-13-2005 12:35 AM
The Story of Charles Hoffman	Crazy	Stories	4	06-19-2004 08:50 PM