Joseph A. Walker - Death

Death

Walker was killed on 8 June 1966, when his F-104 Starfighter chase aircraft collided with a North American XB-70 Valkyrie. Walker had been flying in a tight group formation for a publicity photo, and his F-104 drifted into contact with the XB-70's right wingtip, flipped over, and rolling inverted, passed over the top of the XB-70, struck the vertical stabilizers and left wing and exploded, destroying the Valkyrie's rudders and damaging its left wing. The USAF summary report of the accident investigation stated that, given the position of the F-104 relative to the XB-70, the F-104 pilot would not have been able to see the XB-70's wing, except by uncomfortably looking back over his left shoulder. The report stated that Walker, piloting the F-104, likely maintained his position by looking at the fuselage of the XB-70, forward of his position. The F-104 was estimated to be 70 ft (21 m) to the side of, and 10 ft (3 m) below, the fuselage of the XB-70. The report concluded that from that position, without appropriate sight cues, Walker was unable to properly perceive his motion relative to the Valkyrie, leading to his aircraft drifting into contact with the XB-70's wing. The accident investigation also pointed to the wake vortex off the XB-70's right wingtip as the reason for the F-104's sudden roll over and into the bomber. The careers of several Air Force colonels ended as a result of this aviation accident.