| NASA Center: |
Dryden Flight Research Center |
|---|
| Image # : |
E-9149 |
|---|
| Date : |
01/01/1962
|
|---|
|
Title
X-15 Crash at Mud Lake, Nevada
Full Description
On November 9, 1962, an engine failure forced Jack McKay, a NASA research pilot,
to make an emergency landing at Mud Lake, Nevada, in the second X-15. The
aircraft's landing gear collapsed and the X-15 flipped over on its back. McKay
was promptly rescued by an Air Force medical team standing by near the launch
site, and eventually recovered to fly the X-15 again. But his injuries, more
serious than at first thought, eventually forced his retirement from NASA.
The aircraft was sent back to the manufacturer, where it underwent extensive
repairs and modifications. It returned to Edwards in February 1964 as the
X-15A-2, with a longer fuselage (52 ft 5 in) and external fuel tanks.The basic
X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft 50 ft long with a wingspan of 22 ft. It was a
missile-shaped vehicle with an unusual wedge-shaped vertical tail, thin stubby
wings, and unique side fairings that extended along the side of the fuselage.
Keywords
Jack McKay Emergency Landing Mud Lake Nevada North American Aviation X-15 Boeing B-52 NASA Flight Research Center
Subject Category
Top 20 Dryden Aircraft, X-Series Aircraft,
Reference Numbers
- Center:
DFRC
- Center Number:
E-9149
- GRIN DataBase Number:
GPN-2000-000120
Source Information
- Creator/Photographer: NASA
- Original Source: DIGITAL
| Resolution | Format | Width
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(Pixels) | Size
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Thumbnail |
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91 |
71 |
10 |
Small |
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504 |
206 |
Medium |
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1515 |
1181 |
1,116 |
Large |
.jpg |
3030 |
2362 |
4,560 |
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Updated October 31, 2002
• History Questions: NASA History Office
• Responsible NASA Official: Steve Garber
• Author: Michael Hahn. Editor: Dwayne A. Day
• Curator & Technical Questions: Erin Needham
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