The U-2 is reputedly a notoriously difficult aircraft to fly. <\/p>\n
One reason: the U-2 uses a “bicycle” landing gear layout \u2013 e.g., inline, both sets of wheels on the fuselage with no landing gear under the wings. During takeoff, auxiliary wheels called \u201cpogos\u201d are used to support the wings and keep the aircraft level during takeoff; these fall off during takeoff. They\u2019re not present during landings; the U-2\u2019s wingtips have skids (to prevent damage), and the pogos are reinstalled after landing but before taxiing.<\/p>\n
Both takeoffs and landings in the U-2 are thus rather difficult and dangerous. A relatively large number of fatal U-2 crashes have happened during either takeoff or landing.<\/p>\n
At least some versions of the aircraft also reportedly have a very small speed window between stall speed and Mach buffet at operational altitude, and the aircraft also is easy to stall during certain other flight maneuvers. So even routine flight in the U-2 isn\u2019t all that easy.<\/p>\n
So, the chances of a U-2 ever \u201clanding itself\u201d like the USAF\u2019s famous Cornfield Bomber<\/i><\/a> did are nil, right?<\/p>\n Think again. Exactly that happened once.<\/p>\n . . .<\/b> <\/p>\n On 31 January 1980, a U-2 took off on a routine training mission. The mission ended up being anything but routine.<\/p>\n During the flight, ground controllers lost contact with the pilot. The radio channel seemed to work fine \u2013 controllers received audio from the aircraft. But all they could hear was the sound of the pilot\u2019s breathing.<\/p>\n A T-37 trainer was aloft and in the area; it was sent to check out the unresponsive aircraft. When it arrived close enough to see into the U-2’s cockpit, what the crew of the T-37 saw was chilling.<\/p>\n The U-2 was flying relatively level, though descending slowly and turning slightly. But the U-2’s pilot was slumped over the controls and unresponsive. It was later determined he\u2019d suffered some type of catatonic seizure after takeoff.<\/p>\n The U-2 continued to descend. Remarkably, it made an uncontrolled landing in a cow pasture near Oroville, CA. It did this in spite of clipping power lines just before touching down.<\/p>\n The plane \u2013 though damaged during the uncontrolled landing \u2013 did not catch fire and burn. The pilot also had recovered enough from his seizure to shut down the aircraft\u2019s engines after the plane had landed. However, on attempting to climb out of the aircraft the U-2’s pilot managed to activate his ejection seat. The ejection seat fired, throwing him into a somersault \u2013 but other than a chipped tooth, he was afterwards otherwise uninjured. (He was, however, medically removed from the U-2 program.)<\/p>\n The aircraft \u2013 tail number 56-6714 – was badly enough damaged that it was written off. But it was intact enough that it could be repaired enough to be placed on static display at 9th Strategic Wing HQ at Beale AFB, CA.<\/p>\n