ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 155905
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| Date: | Thursday 4 April 1957 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Lockheed U-2A |
| Owner/operator: | Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) |
| Registration: | 341 |
| MSN: | U2-341 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Pioche, NV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Groom Lake, Nevada |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
On 4 April 1957, Robert Sieker took Article 341 up for a Project RAINBOW test flight against radar operated by EG&G, Inc., near Indian Springs. Airframe heat build-up caused a flameout at 72,000 feet, and Sieker's pressure suit inflated when cabin pressure was lost. The clasp on his faceplate failed, however, causing him to lose consciousness. Article 341 stalled and entered a flat spin at 65,000 feet. Sieker regained his senses at a lower altitude and attempted to bail out. He released the canopy and jumped, but was struck by the aircraft's tail and killed. The aircraft impacted on its belly and caught fire.
It took search teams several days to locate the wreckage. It was spotted by Lockheed test pilot Herman "Fish" Salmon and Ray Crandall while flying a borrowed Beechcraft Bonanza. The silver airplane, shattered, but recognizable, lay in sagebrush on level ground. Its tail remained upright and the wings were partly intact. The engine was exposed amidst the burnt out center section of the fuselage. The cockpit was broken up, but had not burned. Sieker's body lay just 200 feet away.
NOTE: As stated above, this aircraft never carried any military serial or civil registration. Logically, as the first U-2A, it should have been allocated the military serial 56-6674, but that serial was already allocated to a Sikorsky H-19B-SI Chickasaw. In the absence of any other identity, this aircraft was known as "341" after its article number
Sources:
http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2local.html
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1956_2.html
http://www.dreamlandresort.com/pete/dirty_bird_3.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-May-2013 14:54 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 13-May-2013 04:40 | Anon. | Updated [Embed code] |
| 13-May-2013 09:47 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 13-May-2013 10:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code] |
| 17-Apr-2022 07:33 | TB | Updated [Cn, Location, Source] |
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