Bill Weaver: SR71 Pilot and Lucky Survivor
The Fateful Day: January 25th, 1966
In January 25th, 1966, Lockheed test pilot Bill Weaver and navigator Jim Zwayer were evaluating an SR71, flying at Mach 3.1 at an altitude of 78,800 ft. Suddenly, a catastrophic failure caused one engine to shut down, which led the plane to violently pitch and roll. Overwhelmed by the G-force, Bill Weaver passed out.
Free-Falling and Survival
He woke up free-falling, panicking, his helmet faceplate frozen. He could not see what was happening. He did not know at what altitude he was or even if his parachute was still attached to him! He managed to open his faceplate just as his parachute deployed.
Realizing the Miracle
When he touched down, he realized he had never ejected: While he was unconscious, his plane disintegrated around him, and he was ripped off his ejection seat and thrown out. The seat never left the plane! Sadly enough, his navigator did not survive the crash.
Aftermath and Recovery
Bill Weaver made a speedy recovery and kept on flying the SR71 for Lockheed.
-RBM.
