‘She Froze’: An SR-71 Blackbird Broke Apart at Mach 3 Over Okinawa — The U.S. Navy Buried It 25,597 Feet Deep
Source: Christian Orr
On April 21, 1989, an SR-71 Blackbird nicknamed “Ichiban” was racing past Mach 3 over the Pacific when its left compressor bearing suddenly froze, triggering a catastrophic engine explosion. Both pilots ejected safely, and the wreckage was eventually recovered—then deliberately sent to its final resting place at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, 25,597 feet […]