In 1982 an F-117 Nighthawk Prototype’s Nose Wheel Fell Off on Takeoff From Area 51, and Test Pilot Tom Morgenfield Flew the Hour of Tests Anyway, Refused to Eject, and Landed It With a Damaged Strut

An airline test flight from Area 51 involved an early F-117 prototype on January 27, 1982, when the aircraft’s front nose wheel separated during takeoff. The incident occurred while Lockheed test pilot Tom Morgenfield was conducting avionics and display tests.

Morgenfield kept the aircraft flying after the wheel separated and continued the scheduled tests, ultimately landing the jet on a foam-covered runway about an hour later without the nose wheel. The ground crew prepared for the landing by applying fire-retardant foam to the runway surface.

Ground-control planning considered a possible landing in a nearby dry lakebed or an emergency ejection, but Morgenfield declined the suggestion to eject and chose to attempt a conventional landing. He used the aircraft’s rear drag parachute to help keep the nose up during the approach.

Only the landing-gear strut sustained damage in the incident, with no other reported injuries or additional aircraft damage. After the landing, Morgenfield was summoned to Lockheed’s Burbank facility, where senior Skunk Works leaders played a lighthearted prank about disciplinary action.