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Jean 'Skip' Ziegler American Pilot Test Pilot. . Died 12 May 1953.

Personal: Male. Born in USA. Killed in explosion of X-2 during captive-carry flight.

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: Test Pilot (Bell). Deceased

Flights on the X-1A and X-1D.

Ziegler Chronology

24 July 1951 - X-1D Flight 1. Bell flight 1. Glide flight for familiarization. Nose landing gear broken on landing. Following repairs, plane turned over to the Air Force.

14 February 1953 - X-1A Flight 2. Bell flight 2. Planned as powered flight, but completed as glide flight following propellant-system difficulties.
14 February 1953 - X-1A Flight 1. Bell flight 1. Pilot familiarization. Fuel jettison test. Glide flight only.
21 February 1953 - X-1A Flight 3. Bell flight 3. First powered flight. False fire warning.
26 March 1953 - X-1A Flight 4. Bell flight 4. Plane demonstrated successful 4-cylinder engine operation.
10 April 1953 - X-1A Flight 5. Bell flight 5. Pilot noted low-frequency elevator buzz at mach 0.93, did not proceed above this speed, pending buzz investigation.
25 April 1953 - X-1A Flight 6. Bell flight 6. Buzz again noted at mach 0.93. Turbopump overspeeding caused pilot to terminate power and jettison remaining fuel.
12 May 1953 - X-2 explodes in air. During a Bell captive-carry flight test over Lake Ontario, X-2 number 46-675 suddenly exploded, killing Bell test pilot Jean Ziegler and observer Frank Wolko. The EB-50A mothership managed to land, although damaged. Only after several other mysterious X-plane losses was the cause found to be a rocket engine gasket made of Ulmer leather, which decomposed and became explosively unstable after sustained exposure to liquid oxygen.
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