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| Date: | Thursday 18 December 1969 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Lockheed SR-71A |
| Owner/operator: | USA - Air Force |
| Registration: | 61-7953 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Shoshone, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | |
When Colonel Rogers advanced the SR-71’s throttles to go into afterburner for the climb, the compressor sections of both engines stalled. The SR-71A slowed abruptly and then violently pitched upward. Both pilots ejected from the out-of-control airplane. Rogers and Heidelbaugh safely parachuted to the ground. 61-7953 crashed near Shoshone, California, and was totally destroyed by the crash and fire that followed.
The accident investigation determined that a small roll of 2″-wide (5.08 centimeters) duct tape was lodged inside one of the tubes of the airplane’s pitot-static system. When the new system had been installed, it required that the pitot-static tubing be modified and rerouted. A technician apparently placed the rolled duct tape inside an open section of tubing to prevent entry of dirt or foreign objects. When the tubing was reassembled, this makeshift plug was not removed. Post crash testing showed that the plug did not totally close off airflow, but that it decreased it, causing the altimeter to read too high and the airspeed indicator too fast. The normal test of the pitot-static system following the modification did not reveal the problem.
Sources:
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/18-december-1969/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Jul-2025 18:39 | FlyWolf | Added |
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