Message posted by Peter Merlin on June 30, 2007 at 12:42:54 PST:
There are several stories of unauthorized landings at Area 51, some documented and some not. 28 July 1957 - Civilian pilot Edward K. Current Jr. got lost during a cross-counrty flight and landed at Watertown Airstrip, Groom Lake, Nevada. Current, a Douglas Aircraft Company employee, was held overnight and questioned. He was released the next morning and sent on his way. The incident was reported to the Civil Aeronautics Administration and a statement was made to the news media. 8 October 1963 - An F-105, one of a flight of three, experienced an iol pressure malfunction over the Nellis Range during a training sortie. One F-105 returned to base while the flight leader (a British exchange pilot) led the stricken aircraft to the nearest airfield which happened to be Area 51 at Groom Lake. He advised the student pilot to land despite the lack of radio communications from the Area 51 control tower. Two F-101s intercepted the F-105s prior to landing and advised the flight leader to land as well. The base commander, Col. Robert Holbury, and security personnel escorted the F-105 crewmen to a interrogation sessions in separate rooms. They damaged F-105 was repaired and both aircraft departed to Nellis. There are a few anecdotal stories from people who worked at the Area. Apparently private pilots made landings at Groom Lake during the OXCART and HAVE BLUE programs.
In Reply to: Emergency landings at Area 51? posted by kindlyvisiting on June 29, 2007 at 23:26:32 PST:
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