NACA chief pilot Josef A.Walker at Edwards AFB in August 1956

Walker was scheduled to make his first flight in the XB-70 on June 9, 1966.
However, on the morning of June 8, he was flying chase to an XB-70 sonic boom test mission.
After the flight tests were completed, several aircraft joined them in a photo opportunity for General Electric,
who had manufactured the jet engines used in all the aircraft.
They wanted photos for their corporate brochure for an upcoming stockholder's meeting.
The in-flight photographers urged the pilots to tighten the formation for better photos.
Due to the unique configuration of the XB-70, a wingtip vortex caught Walker's plane and the F-104N was cartwheeled
over on top of the bomber, instantly killing Walker as his plane came apart and severed the tails from the bomber.
XB-70 pilot Al White (backup pilot from North American Aviation on the X-15 program) was able to eject,
but Major Carl Cross was unable to operate the ejection system and went down with the plane.
Joseph A. Walker, an aviation icon was gone.

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