The SR-71 Blackbird was oncethe fastest airplane in the world, capable of flying higher than 78,000 feet and faster than three times the speed of sound. It was a marvel of design, stealth, and speed but also one of the riskiest aircraft ever built. Of just 32 SR-71 Blackbirds produced, 12 were lost in accidents. One of those crashes created a survival story unlike any other in aviation history.
In January 1966, test pilot Bill Weaver was flying an SR-71 Blackbird at over Mach 3 when disaster struck. The aircraft suffered an inlet failure and broke apart mid-air, disintegrating at extreme altitude. At 78,000 feet, oxygen is thin, the pressure is fatally low, and ejection at such speeds was considered impossible. Theoritically, no human being was supposed to survive an accident that high up!
At the onset of the mechnical collapse, Weaver assumed he had died. But against all odds, he had been thrown clear of the aircraft, his pressurized flight suit keeping his blood from boiling in the near-space conditions.
Weaver drifted down through the sky, his parachute deploying automatically. Below him, the wreckage of the Blackbird burned across the desert. Tragically, his crewmate, Jim Zwayer, did not survive. Ranchers on the ground, including one who flew a small helicopter, rushed to the scene and pulled Weaver to safety.
It remains one of the most remarkable survival stories tied to the SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest plane in the world. The History Guy recounts Weaver’s ordeal and the engineering marvel that pushed the limits of speed and altitude. The History Guy shares the story.
[Photo is Bill Weaver].