04.20.06

Legendary test pilot Scott Crossfield died on April 20, 2006, when his single-engine plane crashed in Georgia. He was 84.

Crossfield made aviation history on November 20, 1953, becoming the first person to fly at more than twice the speed of sound, or Mach 2. The photos above of Crossfield and his D-558-II Skyrocket were taken immediately after that flight.

Born in California in 1921, Crossfield went to the University of Washington and served in the Navy during World War II before joining NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics -- NACA, in 1950.

As part of the elite test pilot cadre at the NACA High-Speed Flight Research Station -- now NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Mojave, California -- Crossfield flew a series of test planes from the X-1 to the Skyrocket, logging 87 rocket flights and 12 jet flights in the early 1950s.

After five years with NACA, Crossfield left to work for North American Aviation on the design and building of the revolutionary X-15 rocket plane.

Crossfield guided the X-15 on its first free flight in 1959. He went on to fly the first two X-15s a total of 14 times, eventually flying higher than 88,000 feet and reaching 1,960 miles an hour -- nearly three times the speed of sound.

In 1993, NASA awarded him the Distinguished Public Service Medal for his contributions to aeronautics and aviation over a period spanning half a century.

Source: NASA - Life on Earth - Improving Flight

The press release is reproduced below:

April 20, 2006

David Mould/Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington
(202) 358-1400/1600

RELEASE: 06-191


NASA Administrator Statement Regarding the Tragic Loss of Aviation Pioneer A. Scott Crossfield

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Michael Griffin on the tragic death of famed test pilot Albert Scott Crossfield.

"Scott Crossfield was a true pioneer whose daring X-15 flights helped pave the way for the space shuttle. NASA remembers Scott not only as one of the greatest pilots who ever flew, but as an expert aeronautical engineer, aerodynamicist, and designer who made significant contributions to the design and development of the X-15 research aircraft and to systems test, reliability engineering, and quality assurance for the Apollo command and service modules and Saturn V second stage. Today, those of us in the aeronautics and space communities extend our condolences and deepest sympathies to Scott's family."

Crossfield made aeronautical history in 1953 when he reached a speed of more than 1,320 mph, or Mach 2, in a Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket. He played an important role in the agency's highly successful X-15 research aircraft program in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He flew most of the early experimental X-series research aircraft for NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

In 1993, Crossfield was honored with the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal for his contributions to aeronautics research and development over his historic 50 year career.

For additional information about Crossfield and his contributions to aeronautics visit,

http://www.nasa.gov/home

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Source: NASA Press Release 06-191

What a great Pilot...

Scott Corssfield: 1921-2006

Ditto that.

God bless him, still flying an aircraft at age 84. A pure pilot and engineer.

Despite the tragedy of his death, I think that Mr. Crossfield leaving this life at the controls of an airplane is something that he would not have considered a bad deal.

For a test pilot of his era it is the death he would have expected, the fact that it was 6 decades later than he would have expected I think would have delighted him.

The test pilots of the post war era (of all nationalities) were truly heroic people.

Roger that, Waspie.
I imagine he's smiling somewhere right about now.