XB-70 Bomber Hits an F-104 Fighter

In an era of fantastic and futuristic aircraft, the North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie stood out as one of the most awe-inspiring.

On June 8th, 1966, this extraordinary aircraft led a photo-shoot run with four other jets at the behest of General Electric. The company wanted a photograph set of the planes that carried their engines.

In the group, an F-104 was piloted by Joe Walker, a seasoned pilot. The XB-70 was flown by Al White, the chief test pilot for the program, with Air Force Major Carl Cross as the co-pilot.

A Learjet piloted by Clay Lacy would carry photographers to capture the formation, which would be featured in a company brochure. However, tragedy suddenly struck. The Valkyrie and the F-104 were involved in a shocking accident documented and immortalized in these photographs. They're now part of American aviation history's long catalog of mysteries.

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