A-12 ARTICLE 123
A-12 (60-6926 / 123)
This aircraft was the third A-12 built, the second to fly, and the first to
crash. On 24 May 1963, CIA pilot Ken Collins was flying an inertial navigation
system test mission. After entering clouds, frozen water fouled the pitot-static
boom and prevented correct information from reaching the standby flight
instruments and the Triple Display Indicator. The aircraft subsequently entered
a stall and control was lost completely followed by the onset of an inverted
flat spin. The pilot ejected safely. The wreckage was recovered in two days and
persons at the scene were identified and requested to sign secrecy agreements. A
cover story for the press described the accident as occurring to an F-105.
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