Madbob
Yes, it's all very tragic.
The U-2 has a long history of eventful abandonings. Right from the early FY56 aircraft, through to the present day.
I guess in an aircraft where performance is not to be compromised, everything else has to be a little....
As usual, the report will tell all, but the a/c looked to be in one big chunk as it spun in, so there was clearly a very pressing, if not obvious reason for saying cheerio to it. I expect, given the types superlative gliding performance it wasn't EFATO, as their must have been a decent change of a forced landing (as has been done before- one U-2 even did its own unassisted forced landing!) or even a glide back to Beale.
A damn shame, however you look at it.
