I would suggest that this thread be sticky, and be contributed to on a regular basis, to serve as a repository for the vastly under-reported successes which make commercial, military, and general aviation as safe as it is.
U-2C flames out above 60,000 ft then forced landing through cloud.
On 15 February 1967, Captain Woodhull made a normal take off and climb to above 60,000 ft in a U2C. When at maximum altitude he made a turn towards his next checkpoint. As he rolled out of his turn he heard a loud explosion and the engine flamed out. Weather at the time was completely undercast and the closest alternate airfield over 100 miles away. ATC vectored him towards his alternate airfield. As pressurisation was lost, the canopy began to frost over and Captain Woodhull proceeded to descend solely on instruments. Although partial pressure suit inflation which occured within 30 seconds of the flameout severely limited Capt Woodhull's arm and body movements, he made periodic attempts to scrape ice off the canopy with his Weems plotter, and this allowed him small, intermittent glimpses of the weather below.
As he approached his destination airfield, it became apparent, with the solid overcast, that a visual approach could not be made. After three airstart attempts failed, Captain Woodhull requested ATC to vector him to a point approximately five miles to the west of the field where he could continue his descent in orbit and remain clear of mountains lying just to the east of the field.
With weather reported as 1500 ft scattered, 3500 ft broken to overcast with 15 miles visibility and intermittent snow showers, Captain Woodhull decided that the ceiling was high enough to allow him to break out, get the field in sight, and set up a forced landing pattern. Then the primary microphone in his pressure suit facepiece ceased to function. Prompt action in attaching the bypass chord enabled him once again to have communication with ATC.
At 18,000 ft the aircraft entered weather which stayed solid to 12,000 ft where it became layered. As Captain Woodhull continued his descent, it became apparent that he might not break out of the weather as soon as anticipated and he requested ATC to place him over the field and on a heading aligned with the runway.
Still scraping away at his canopy with his Weems plotter, Captain Woodhull finally noticed a taxiway through a small break in the clouds. Entering a high key, he completed his checklists and made his turn to low key keeping the runway in sight. On the turn to base, he once again entered clouds, which forced him to estimate his turn on to final. Breaking out of cloud once more, he had slightly overshot the runway but by anticipating this possibility he used excess airspeed to return to final approach.
A heavyweight landing was made approximately 3000 ft down the runway without the aid of the mobile controller who would normally transmit to him his height above the runway. The superior airmanship demonstrated by Captain Woodhull saved a valuable aircraft.
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