Have you ever crashed a Boeing 720 jetliner? Well, Fitzhugh Fulton has and lived to tell the tale!

Fitzhugh L. Fulton, Jr. Image Courtesy of NASA
Fitzhugh L. Fulton, Jr. Image Courtesy of NASA

On December 1st, 1984 NASA research pilot “Fitz” Fulton purposely crash landed a four engine Boeing 720 loaded with 76,000 pounds of fuel into the desert at Edwards AFB, CA.

By the way, Fitz was smart enough to not be in the big Boeing jet at the time of the crash landing. He remotely piloted the aircraft from the NASA Dryden Remotely Controlled Vehicle Facility.

Why would NASA purposely crash a jet like this? NASA’s ‘Controlled Impact Demonstration’ was designed to test a new jet fuel anti-misting additive that many thought would inhibit the ignition of fuel in the event of a crash.