F-104N "NASA 813" minutes prior to the midair collision with the XB-70A-2 Valkyrie on June 8, 1966

F-104N, construction number 683C-4058, model 683-10-19, built by Lockheed
F-104N "013" arrived at the Flight Research Center on October 22.1963 with 4.75 flight hours on the airframe for high speed chase flights.
It was piloted by Joseph A. Walker, and wore NASA tail number 013. Within a week, four other NASA pilots also flew 013.
On November 1, 1963, Walker flew NASA 013 to "Yuletide" Special Operations Area northeast of Groom Lake, Nevada.
The flight was in support of the X-15 program. Groom Lake was a contingency landing site for the rocket plane following launches near Delamar, Nevada.
NASA 013 frequently served as chase or weather observation aircraft for the X-15.
The aircraft made its 235th flight coded NASA 013 on March 5, 1965, again piloted by Walker.
On its next sortie, flown by Milton O. Thompson on March 8, the aircraft had been redesignated NASA 813.
On November 29, 1965, Joe Walker flew NASA 813 as chase for the XB-70. Walker had been selected to become NASA's chief XB-70 pilot.
He made four additional XB-70 chase flights in November and December 1965, and seven more in March 1966.
During its three-year service life, NASA 013 (later 813) flew a total of 409 NASA sorties and logged 627.7 flight hours.
It was flown by nine different NASA pilots including Joseph A. Walker, Milton O. Thompson, Bruce Peterson, John "Jack" McKay, Donald Mallick,
William H. Dana, Fred Haise, John Manke, and flight surgeon Dr. James Roman. Joseph Walker made 165 of the flights, more than any other pilot.
The aircraft was lost in a midair collision with the XB-70A-2 Valkyrie on June 8, 1966.

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