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Video: The Crash that Could Have Killed Neil Armstrong

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Key Takeaways:

  • Recently released stabilized video footage offers a unique look at Neil Armstrong's 1968 Lunar Landing Training Vehicle (LLTV) crash, which he survived by ejecting at just 200 feet.
  • Armstrong's ejection, only a year before his historic moon landing, was a split-second decision that saved his life from the malfunctioning LLTV.
  • Despite its critical role in simulating lunar conditions, the LLTV had a poor safety record, with three of five built being destroyed in crashes.
  • Demonstrating his legendary composure and dedication, Armstrong reportedly returned to his office immediately after the near-fatal accident.
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Reddit user Theodore Funkenstein recently released stabilized video footage of the 1968 aircraft crash that forced Neil Armstrong to bail out at low altitude, allowing a one-of-a-kind look at an event that nearly took the life of the world’s most well known astronaut.

A little more than a year before his giant leap for mankind, Armstrong was test flying the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle at Ellington Air Force Base when a malfunction of the flight controls forced him to eject at an altitude of just 200 feet. His parachute was open for mere seconds before he touched the ground uninjured. Experts estimate that had Armstrong waited just another half second before ejecting, he would have not have survived the incident.

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