Informations clés
Aéronef: Convair F-106A Delta Dart, serial 58-0787 — “The Cornfield Bomber”
Unité: 71st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Montana
Date: February 2, 1970
Pilot: Captain Gary Foust (ejected safely)
Landing Site: Snow-covered cornfield near Big Sandy, Montana
Damage: Minor — aircraft repaired and returned to service
Subsequent Service: Flew for another 16 years until 1986
Current Location: National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio
The Spin Nobody Could Break
Foust was part of a training exercise that day — a simulated dogfight over the Montana high plains. During an aggressive manoeuvre, the F-106 departed controlled flight and entered a flat spin. This is the most dangerous type of spin for a delta-wing aircraft: the nose sits well above the horizon, the aircraft rotates around its vertical axis, and aerodynamic controls become essentially useless because the airflow over the wings and tail is completely disrupted.
The Miracle Recovery
When Foust ejected, the canopy departed, the seat rocket fired, and approximately 200 pounds of pilot and equipment left the aircraft in an instant. This sudden change in weight and centre of gravity did something that all of Foust’s skill could not: it shifted the aerodynamic balance just enough to break the spin. The F-106’s nose dropped. The delta wing, now flying clean without a canopy or pilot, found stable airflow. The aircraft transitioned from a tumbling death spiral into a gentle, nose-low glide. The throttle, still set to idle from Foust’s last recovery attempt, kept the engine purring at just enough power to sustain a slow descent. With no pilot to command it, the aircraft descended through the clouds, crossed the frozen Montana landscape, and touched down belly-first in a snow-covered wheat field belonging to a farmer near the town of Big Sandy. The snow cushioned the landing. The engine continued to run. The aircraft slid to a stop, largely intact, sitting upright in the field as if it had been parked there on purpose.
Found by a Farmer
A local law enforcement officer, alerted by the sound of the low-flying jet, arrived at the field to find the F-106 sitting in the snow with its engine idling, canopy missing, and cockpit empty. The scene was surreal: a supersonic interceptor, designed to fly at twice the speed of sound at 40,000 feet, had landed itself in a wheat field with less damage than many controlled landings produce. Meanwhile, Foust had landed safely by parachute several miles away, fully expecting that his aircraft had cratered into the Montana wilderness. When he learned that the F-106 had not only survived but had landed itself almost perfectly, his reaction was one shared by everyone who heard the story: disbelief.Back in Service
The Air Force recovered the aircraft, assessed the damage, and made a decision that surprises people to this day: they repaired it. Aircraft 58-0787 was trucked back to a maintenance facility, given a new canopy, patched up, and returned to flying status. It served for another sixteen years, finally retiring in 1986 when the F-106 fleet was phased out of service. Today, the Cornfield Bomber sits in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio — one of the most popular exhibits in the collection. A small placard tells the story. Visitors shake their heads. And somewhere, the ghost of Gary Foust is probably still shaking his. Sources: National Museum of the USAF, Air Force Magazine, Aviation Geek ClubQuestions connexes
What was the Cornfield Bomber?
The Cornfield Bomber was a Convair F-106A Delta Dart (serial 58-0787) that, on February 2, 1970, landed itself in a snow-covered Montana field after its pilot ejected. During a training dogfight the interceptor entered a flat spin; pilot Gary Foust ejected, and the unmanned jet recovered on its own and belly-landed nearly intact.
Did the F-106 Cornfield Bomber really land itself with no pilot?
Yes. After Captain Gary Foust ejected from his spinning F-106 near Big Sandy, Montana, the loss of his weight and the ejection shifted the aircraft's balance; it came out of the spin, leveled its wings, and settled into a gentle belly landing in a snowy field, engine still running when a farmer found it.
What happened to the Cornfield Bomber afterward?
The aircraft suffered only minor damage, was repaired, and returned to service, flying for another 16 years until 1986. It is now preserved at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, one of aviation's most famous surviving aircraft.
What was the Convair F-106 Delta Dart?
The F-106 Delta Dart was an American supersonic, delta-wing interceptor built to hunt Soviet bombers at the edge of the stratosphere during the Cold War. Like the never-built YF-12 Mach 3 interceptor, it belonged to a generation of high-speed defenders designed to stop nuclear-armed bombers before they reached their targets.
Why is a flat spin so dangerous in a delta-wing jet?
In a flat spin the nose sits well above the horizon and the aircraft rotates around its vertical axis while falling, with airflow over the controls disrupted so they lose effectiveness. For delta-wing jets it is especially hazardous and often unrecoverable, which is why Foust followed his training and ejected, trusting his parachute to save him.
Who was the pilot of the Cornfield Bomber?
Captain Gary Foust of the 71st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, based at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, was flying the F-106 when it entered the flat spin. He ejected safely and parachuted down, later reuniting with the aircraft that had landed itself, which he would see again decades later in the Air Force museum.
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