Fifty-seven years ago, test pilot Bruce Peterson survived one of aviation’s most dramatic crashes, an incident so spectacular that NASA’s own crash footage later became the opening scene of the hit 1970s TV series “The Six Million Dollar Man.”
NASA’s experimental M2-F2 flying saucer was flown by Peterson at the Dryden Flight Research Center, California, on May 10, 1967, for a regular glide test flight over Rogers Dry Lakebed.
The wingless and delta-shaped flying saucer was created to experiment with unorthodox aerodynamic theories for future spacecraft reentry.
However, as the plane soared through the air, Peterson’s M2-F2 developed a dangerous and difficult to control oscillation known as Dutch Roll.
As Peterson got the oscillation problem under control, he noticed an approaching helicopter used for aircraft recovery.
The helicopter never got close, but Peterson’s lack of concentration caused a tragedy. Since there were no markings on the runway due to his low flight, he misjudged his distance to the bottom. This resulted in him not deploying the landing gear in time.
M2-F2 landed hard and rolled across the desert terrain. He was turned over six times until he stopped in an inverted position.
Peterson was seriously injured, suffering broken legs, a broken pelvis and even losing the sight in his right eye. Fortunately he survived.
