Scott Crossfield
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Scott Crossfield
US Navy test piot Scott Crossfield was found dead in the wreckage of his Cessna 210 in Georgia, according to NBC-TV news this evening. He flew the Douglas Skyrocket to a new speed record in the late 40's, and was the first to reach Mach 2.
With a dry wit and great storytelling style, he was a great aviation humourist too. RIP
Bio: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/8851456/detail.html
With a dry wit and great storytelling style, he was a great aviation humourist too. RIP
Bio: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/8851456/detail.html
Last edited by barit1; 20th Apr 2006 at 23:58.
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One of the all time great Test Pilots
I was saddened to hear of the death of Scott Crossfield. I exchanged several letters with him and i had nothing but admiration for the man.
He was a brilliant pilot, but most of all, he was a true gentleman and very humble about his achievements. He took the time to answer the questions that i had about his career and encouraged me in my own.
RIP Scotty
He was a brilliant pilot, but most of all, he was a true gentleman and very humble about his achievements. He took the time to answer the questions that i had about his career and encouraged me in my own.
RIP Scotty
One of the greats, who had achieved ten times more (and probably had ten times more fun) than most of us could ever hope to in our lifetimes, a man who has done huge amounts for aviation over an incredibly long time - and was clearly still flying at the age of 84. I'm left with deepest respect, and a great regret that I never had the privilege of knowing the man myself.
One sincerely hopes that nobody else was hurt in his accident, and of-course it's sad that such a great man is taken from us too soon, but I can't help feeling that there are far worse ways that such a great test pilot could have gone.
G
One sincerely hopes that nobody else was hurt in his accident, and of-course it's sad that such a great man is taken from us too soon, but I can't help feeling that there are far worse ways that such a great test pilot could have gone.
G
April 21, 2006
Scott Crossfield, Fabled Test Pilot, Dies at 84
By DAVID STOUT
WASHINGTON, April 20 — Scott Crossfield, a legendary test pilot of the post-World War II era who was the first person to fly twice the speed of sound, was killed Wednesday morning when his plane crashed in northern Georgia. He was 84.
Mr. Crossfield, who lived in Herndon, Va., just outside Washington, was on a flight from Prattville, Ala., to Manassas, Va., when his single-engine craft when down, the Civil Air Patrol said Thursday. There were thunderstorms in the region at the time. Mr. Crossfield was in good health and good spirits before making the flight, his son-in-law Ed Fleming said Thursday in a telephone interview.
Mr. Crossfield, who was an aeronautical engineer, belonged to the small pantheon of envelope-pushing aviators whose exploits were told in Tom Wolfe's book "The Right Stuff," Another, of course, was Chuck Yeager, who in 1947 became the first pilot to break the sound barrier.
On Nov. 20, 1953, Mr. Crossfield became the first man to fly at twice the speed of sound. At the controls of a rocket-powered Douglas D-558-2 that had been dropped from a B-29 mother ship at 32,000 feet, Mr. Crossfield climbed to 72,000 feet, then dived to 62,000 feet, where his speed topped 1,320 miles per hour.
At the time of his record-breaking flight, Mr. Crossfield was flying out of Edwards Air Force Base in California for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In his five years with the committee, Mr. Crossfield logged far more time in the cockpits of rocket-powered aircraft than any other pilot.
In 1955, Mr. Crossfield became the chief test pilot for North American Aviation, where he was the consultant for the X-15, a rocket-powered craft designed to fly to the fringes of space at several times the speed of sound. On June 8, 1959, he made the first of his two dozen flights in the X-15, one of which took him to 1,960 miles per hour — almost three times the speed of sound — and 88,116 feet above the earth, according to NASA.
He had two brushes with death in the X-15. On his third flight, one of the craft's two rocket engines blew up. In the emergency landing, the plane snapped in two just behind the cockpit. Mr. Crossfield was not hurt. Months later, an X-15 engine exploded during a ground test while he was in the cockpit. Again, he walked away.
Mr. Crossfield later became an engineer and researcher for North American. From 1967 to 1973, he was an executive for Eastern Air Lines. In 1974 and 1975, he was senior vice president for Hawker Siddeley Aviation. From 1977 until retiring in 1993, he was a consultant to the House Committee on Science and Technology.
Albert Scott Crossfield was born in Berkeley, Calif., on Oct. 2, 1921. When he was 12, he took his first flying lessons, at a small airport in Wilmington, Calif., where he washed planes to pay for his time in the air, he recalled in a 2001 interview with AVWeb, an Internet aviation magazine.
He was a Navy fighter pilot and instructor during World War II. After the war, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington. While at Edwards Air Force Base, he helped design the first full-pressure flight suit, which evolved into the suits used by astronauts.
In the 2001 interview with AVWeb, Mr. Crossfield said that the United States should commit itself to having a human presence in space, but that he opposed an international space station because the United States stood to contribute more in knowledge and money than it would get back.
Asked if he agreed with Mr. Yeager that just after World War II was the best time to be a pilot, Mr. Crossfield replied, "The best time to be a pilot is anytime."
He also volunteered an explanation for why he had never become an astronaut. "I have a bad reputation for doing my own thing," he said. "I would turn off the radio if I didn't like the help I was getting from the ground, and the medicine men that were running the program thought that was too independent. They wanted medical subjects, not pilots."
Mr. Crossfield is survived by his wife, Alice; four sons, Tom, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Paul, Anthony and Robert, all of Northern Virginia; two daughters, Becky Fleming, of Northern Virginia, and Sally Farley, of Louisville, Ky.; and three grandchildren.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/21/us/21crossfield.html
Scott Crossfield, Fabled Test Pilot, Dies at 84
By DAVID STOUT
WASHINGTON, April 20 — Scott Crossfield, a legendary test pilot of the post-World War II era who was the first person to fly twice the speed of sound, was killed Wednesday morning when his plane crashed in northern Georgia. He was 84.
Mr. Crossfield, who lived in Herndon, Va., just outside Washington, was on a flight from Prattville, Ala., to Manassas, Va., when his single-engine craft when down, the Civil Air Patrol said Thursday. There were thunderstorms in the region at the time. Mr. Crossfield was in good health and good spirits before making the flight, his son-in-law Ed Fleming said Thursday in a telephone interview.
Mr. Crossfield, who was an aeronautical engineer, belonged to the small pantheon of envelope-pushing aviators whose exploits were told in Tom Wolfe's book "The Right Stuff," Another, of course, was Chuck Yeager, who in 1947 became the first pilot to break the sound barrier.
On Nov. 20, 1953, Mr. Crossfield became the first man to fly at twice the speed of sound. At the controls of a rocket-powered Douglas D-558-2 that had been dropped from a B-29 mother ship at 32,000 feet, Mr. Crossfield climbed to 72,000 feet, then dived to 62,000 feet, where his speed topped 1,320 miles per hour.
At the time of his record-breaking flight, Mr. Crossfield was flying out of Edwards Air Force Base in California for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In his five years with the committee, Mr. Crossfield logged far more time in the cockpits of rocket-powered aircraft than any other pilot.
In 1955, Mr. Crossfield became the chief test pilot for North American Aviation, where he was the consultant for the X-15, a rocket-powered craft designed to fly to the fringes of space at several times the speed of sound. On June 8, 1959, he made the first of his two dozen flights in the X-15, one of which took him to 1,960 miles per hour — almost three times the speed of sound — and 88,116 feet above the earth, according to NASA.
He had two brushes with death in the X-15. On his third flight, one of the craft's two rocket engines blew up. In the emergency landing, the plane snapped in two just behind the cockpit. Mr. Crossfield was not hurt. Months later, an X-15 engine exploded during a ground test while he was in the cockpit. Again, he walked away.
Mr. Crossfield later became an engineer and researcher for North American. From 1967 to 1973, he was an executive for Eastern Air Lines. In 1974 and 1975, he was senior vice president for Hawker Siddeley Aviation. From 1977 until retiring in 1993, he was a consultant to the House Committee on Science and Technology.
Albert Scott Crossfield was born in Berkeley, Calif., on Oct. 2, 1921. When he was 12, he took his first flying lessons, at a small airport in Wilmington, Calif., where he washed planes to pay for his time in the air, he recalled in a 2001 interview with AVWeb, an Internet aviation magazine.
He was a Navy fighter pilot and instructor during World War II. After the war, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington. While at Edwards Air Force Base, he helped design the first full-pressure flight suit, which evolved into the suits used by astronauts.
In the 2001 interview with AVWeb, Mr. Crossfield said that the United States should commit itself to having a human presence in space, but that he opposed an international space station because the United States stood to contribute more in knowledge and money than it would get back.
Asked if he agreed with Mr. Yeager that just after World War II was the best time to be a pilot, Mr. Crossfield replied, "The best time to be a pilot is anytime."
He also volunteered an explanation for why he had never become an astronaut. "I have a bad reputation for doing my own thing," he said. "I would turn off the radio if I didn't like the help I was getting from the ground, and the medicine men that were running the program thought that was too independent. They wanted medical subjects, not pilots."
Mr. Crossfield is survived by his wife, Alice; four sons, Tom, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Paul, Anthony and Robert, all of Northern Virginia; two daughters, Becky Fleming, of Northern Virginia, and Sally Farley, of Louisville, Ky.; and three grandchildren.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/21/us/21crossfield.html
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I am told that when Roscoe Turner's racer (which was hung in spotless condition in the loft of his hangar in Indianapolis) was donated to the NASM, Turner wanted it to be flown to DC, and the only pilot Turner would accept for the project was Crossfield.
But Crossfield was occupied with another project and could not break away. So Turner's ship was trucked to the NASM.
But Crossfield was occupied with another project and could not break away. So Turner's ship was trucked to the NASM.
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NTSB preliminary is not out just yet, but will be soon.
This is from an SETP mailing received today:
The Society of Experimental Test Pilots was saddened to learn of the loss of Scott Crossfield on 19 April 2006. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Mr. Crossfield's superlative legacy of safe exploration of the at-the-time unknown edges of the flight envelope have set a standard that all test pilots hold in the highest esteem. He was the epitome of the experimental test pilot -- both brave but cautious, extremely knowledgeable, a fact-driven engineer, but an incredible "natural" pilot as well. He is best known as the first man to fly faster than twice the speed of sound, but his flight test career involved many varied projects for NACA (the predecessor to NASA) and North American Aviation. He richly deserved the many prestigious awards granted him over the years: the Collier Trophy for 1961 from the National Aeronautics Association, presented by President John F. Kennedy at the White House in 1962 and the International Clifford B. Harmon Trophy for 1960, presented by President Kennedy in the White House the year before. Crossfield was also inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame (1983), the International Space Hall of Fame (1988), and the Aerospace Walk of Honor (1990). He was also awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in 1993. Scott was a Charter Member and Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He will be sorely missed.
Michael V. Rabens, President, Society of Experimental Test Pilots
Scott Crossfield’s funeral will be held on 1300, 15 August 2006. Attendees should gather at the Administration Building, Arlington Cemetery about one hour prior. Proceed to an assigned reception room to greet the family. At 1300, everyone shall get into their cars and follow the car bearing the urn to a transfer point. The urn will be placed upon a horse pulled caisson. From there the Chaplain will lead the Honor Guard and the caisson to the Columbarium where the urn will be placed. This shall be a full honors ceremony. It is anticipated that there shall be a fly-over also.
Web site showing map to ANC: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/directions.html
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/regional_map.html
Web site describing ceremonies:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/ceremonies/index.html
Web site showing map of ANC:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/int...map/index.html
Following the burial there will be a reception at the Army –Navy Country Club,
Web site showing map of Army/Navy Country Club, 1700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington VA (703) 521-6800:
< http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...te=va&zipcode= >
The Society of Experimental Test Pilots was saddened to learn of the loss of Scott Crossfield on 19 April 2006. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Mr. Crossfield's superlative legacy of safe exploration of the at-the-time unknown edges of the flight envelope have set a standard that all test pilots hold in the highest esteem. He was the epitome of the experimental test pilot -- both brave but cautious, extremely knowledgeable, a fact-driven engineer, but an incredible "natural" pilot as well. He is best known as the first man to fly faster than twice the speed of sound, but his flight test career involved many varied projects for NACA (the predecessor to NASA) and North American Aviation. He richly deserved the many prestigious awards granted him over the years: the Collier Trophy for 1961 from the National Aeronautics Association, presented by President John F. Kennedy at the White House in 1962 and the International Clifford B. Harmon Trophy for 1960, presented by President Kennedy in the White House the year before. Crossfield was also inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame (1983), the International Space Hall of Fame (1988), and the Aerospace Walk of Honor (1990). He was also awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in 1993. Scott was a Charter Member and Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He will be sorely missed.
Michael V. Rabens, President, Society of Experimental Test Pilots
Scott Crossfield’s funeral will be held on 1300, 15 August 2006. Attendees should gather at the Administration Building, Arlington Cemetery about one hour prior. Proceed to an assigned reception room to greet the family. At 1300, everyone shall get into their cars and follow the car bearing the urn to a transfer point. The urn will be placed upon a horse pulled caisson. From there the Chaplain will lead the Honor Guard and the caisson to the Columbarium where the urn will be placed. This shall be a full honors ceremony. It is anticipated that there shall be a fly-over also.
Web site showing map to ANC: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/directions.html
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/regional_map.html
Web site describing ceremonies:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/ceremonies/index.html
Web site showing map of ANC:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/int...map/index.html
Following the burial there will be a reception at the Army –Navy Country Club,
Web site showing map of Army/Navy Country Club, 1700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington VA (703) 521-6800:
< http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...te=va&zipcode= >
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NTSB: Crossfield's Plane Broke Up in Storm
The Associated Press
Thursday, April 27, 2006; 10:11 PM
ATLANTA -- The wreckage of famed test pilot Scott Crossfield's single-engine
plane indicates it broke apart during a severe thunderstorm, according to a
National Transportation Safety Board report. Crossfield, who in the early
1950s was the first person to fly at twice the speed of sound, died April 19
while en route from Prattville, Ala., to his home in Manassas, Va., in his
Cessna 210A. The 84-year-old pilot was the only person aboard when the plane
crashed into mountainous terrain in northern Georgia.
The NTSB report, released Thursday, said Crossfield checked in with Atlanta air traffic controllers and shortly after 11 a.m. asked to turn to the south because of bad storms in the region. Radar contact was lost at 11:10 a.m. when the plane was at 5,500 feet, just after the plane entered a Level 6
thunderstorm, the severest type, the report said. The Federal Aviation
Administration says a Level 6 storm is characterized by high wind and severe
turbulence.
According to the report, debris from the aircraft was found in
two areas about a mile apart, with the main wreckage in a crater 4 feet
deep. "The wreckage distribution was consistent with a low-altitude
in-flight breakup," the report said. Limited damage to the tree canopy also
showed the plane plunged nearly straight down, the report said. Parts of the
airframe, engine and propeller blades were taken to a local Department of
Transportation accident reconstruction yard. The report said investigators
uncovered no mechanical or other problems with the plane that would have
caused the crash.
Thursday, April 27, 2006; 10:11 PM
ATLANTA -- The wreckage of famed test pilot Scott Crossfield's single-engine
plane indicates it broke apart during a severe thunderstorm, according to a
National Transportation Safety Board report. Crossfield, who in the early
1950s was the first person to fly at twice the speed of sound, died April 19
while en route from Prattville, Ala., to his home in Manassas, Va., in his
Cessna 210A. The 84-year-old pilot was the only person aboard when the plane
crashed into mountainous terrain in northern Georgia.
The NTSB report, released Thursday, said Crossfield checked in with Atlanta air traffic controllers and shortly after 11 a.m. asked to turn to the south because of bad storms in the region. Radar contact was lost at 11:10 a.m. when the plane was at 5,500 feet, just after the plane entered a Level 6
thunderstorm, the severest type, the report said. The Federal Aviation
Administration says a Level 6 storm is characterized by high wind and severe
turbulence.
According to the report, debris from the aircraft was found in
two areas about a mile apart, with the main wreckage in a crater 4 feet
deep. "The wreckage distribution was consistent with a low-altitude
in-flight breakup," the report said. Limited damage to the tree canopy also
showed the plane plunged nearly straight down, the report said. Parts of the
airframe, engine and propeller blades were taken to a local Department of
Transportation accident reconstruction yard. The report said investigators
uncovered no mechanical or other problems with the plane that would have
caused the crash.
Do a Hover - it avoids G
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Copy of the NTSB's April 27 update on Scott Crossfield's final flight.
On April 19, at approximately 11:10 am EDT, a Cessna 210A, N6579X, rapidly descended into remote mountainous terrain near Ludville, Georgia, after entering an area of thunderstorms. The pilot, well-known test pilot A. Scott Crossfield, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The accident flight departed Prattville - Grouby Field Airport, Prattville, Alabama, at 10:05, and was en route to Manassas Regional/Harry P. Davis Field Airport, Manassas, Virginia.
At 10:18 am, the pilot checked-in with Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and was subsequently handled by four sectors. The accident airplane was cleared to 11,000 feet. The pilot was not issued weather advisories or related SIGMETS, according to Atlanta ARTCC voice communications. At 11:09:28 am, the pilot asked to deviate to the south due to weather. Atlanta ARTCC approved the turn to the south, but radar contact was lost at 11:10:02 am at 5,500 feet. Recorded radar data indicate that the accident airplane entered a level 6 thunderstorm prior to the loss of radar contact.
The airplane impacted about 3.3 nautical miles northwest of Ludville, Georgia, in rugged wooded terrain. The associated debris was located in two general areas, situated about 1 mile apart from each other. The wreckage distribution was consistent with a low altitude in-flight breakup.
The main wreckage was situated in a four-foot deep crater. There was limited damage to the overhead tree canopy, consistent with a near vertical descent path. The main wreckage consisted of the cockpit, engine, propeller, left and right main wing spars, nose and main landing gear, left and right flap, and portions of the empennage. The second area of wreckage consisted of portions of the left and right wing leading edges, the upper portion of the vertical stabilizer leading edge and tip rib, a small section of aileron and the left cabin door. The two ailerons and the outboard portion of the right elevator were not recovered during the on-scene investigation. Two of the three propeller blades have been recovered, both of which exhibit chordwise scratches and blade twist. All four corners of the airplane have been located; cockpit/engine, left wing, empennage, right wing, and fuselage. The major airframe components, engine, and recovered propeller blades were transported to a local Department of Transportation accident reconstruction yard.
A two-dimensional wreckage layout confirmed flight control cable circuit continuity for ailerons, elevators, and rudder. The flaps and landing gear were fully retracted. Functional testing and disassembly of the wet vacuum pump showed no evidence of pre-impact failure. No gyros instruments were found intact. No liberated gyros were found at the accident site. The on-scene investigation did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have prevented the normal operation of the airplane or its related systems.
The investigator-in-charge for this accident is Todd Fox of the North Central Regional Office in West Chicago, Illinois. Assisting him in the investigation are the FAA, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Continental Engines. The NTSB identification number for this investigation is CHI06MA115.
On April 19, at approximately 11:10 am EDT, a Cessna 210A, N6579X, rapidly descended into remote mountainous terrain near Ludville, Georgia, after entering an area of thunderstorms. The pilot, well-known test pilot A. Scott Crossfield, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The accident flight departed Prattville - Grouby Field Airport, Prattville, Alabama, at 10:05, and was en route to Manassas Regional/Harry P. Davis Field Airport, Manassas, Virginia.
At 10:18 am, the pilot checked-in with Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and was subsequently handled by four sectors. The accident airplane was cleared to 11,000 feet. The pilot was not issued weather advisories or related SIGMETS, according to Atlanta ARTCC voice communications. At 11:09:28 am, the pilot asked to deviate to the south due to weather. Atlanta ARTCC approved the turn to the south, but radar contact was lost at 11:10:02 am at 5,500 feet. Recorded radar data indicate that the accident airplane entered a level 6 thunderstorm prior to the loss of radar contact.
The airplane impacted about 3.3 nautical miles northwest of Ludville, Georgia, in rugged wooded terrain. The associated debris was located in two general areas, situated about 1 mile apart from each other. The wreckage distribution was consistent with a low altitude in-flight breakup.
The main wreckage was situated in a four-foot deep crater. There was limited damage to the overhead tree canopy, consistent with a near vertical descent path. The main wreckage consisted of the cockpit, engine, propeller, left and right main wing spars, nose and main landing gear, left and right flap, and portions of the empennage. The second area of wreckage consisted of portions of the left and right wing leading edges, the upper portion of the vertical stabilizer leading edge and tip rib, a small section of aileron and the left cabin door. The two ailerons and the outboard portion of the right elevator were not recovered during the on-scene investigation. Two of the three propeller blades have been recovered, both of which exhibit chordwise scratches and blade twist. All four corners of the airplane have been located; cockpit/engine, left wing, empennage, right wing, and fuselage. The major airframe components, engine, and recovered propeller blades were transported to a local Department of Transportation accident reconstruction yard.
A two-dimensional wreckage layout confirmed flight control cable circuit continuity for ailerons, elevators, and rudder. The flaps and landing gear were fully retracted. Functional testing and disassembly of the wet vacuum pump showed no evidence of pre-impact failure. No gyros instruments were found intact. No liberated gyros were found at the accident site. The on-scene investigation did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have prevented the normal operation of the airplane or its related systems.
The investigator-in-charge for this accident is Todd Fox of the North Central Regional Office in West Chicago, Illinois. Assisting him in the investigation are the FAA, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Continental Engines. The NTSB identification number for this investigation is CHI06MA115.
