Aviation history contains numerous accounts of remarkable survival against formidable odds. Among these extraordinary stories is the harrowing experience of a pilot who endured an unprecedented atmospheric ordeal, providing a unique insight into the powerful forces of nature.
An Unprecedented Ordeal
On July 26, 1959, Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel William Rankin was flying an F-8 Crusader jet fighter at 47,000 feet when his engine failed. His engine failed, and an attempt to deploy auxiliary power failed when the lever broke off. At approximately 6:00 pm, without a pressure suit, Rankin ejected from his aircraft into air that was around -50°C (-58°F).
This sudden exposure to extreme altitude caused immediate frostbite and decompression, resulting in bleeding from his eyes, nose, and mouth, alongside severe abdominal swelling. Ten seconds into his descent, Rankin plunged into the top of a massive storm system. His fall through this tumultuous environment would last an astonishing 40 minutes, a duration far exceeding a typical descent.
The Towering Cloud He Entered
William Rankin fell through a cumulonimbus cloud, a type commonly known as a thunderhead. These clouds are dense, towering, and vertically developed, often associated with severe weather like thunderstorms, lightning, and hail. Cumulonimbus clouds form through convection, where warm, moist air rises rapidly. As this air ascends, it cools and water vapor condenses, fueling the cloud’s immense vertical growth.
A mature cumulonimbus can reach typical heights of approximately 40,000 feet, with some unusually high instances extending to 66,000 feet or more. Their distinctive flat, anvil-shaped top forms when the rising air hits a stable atmospheric layer, like the tropopause, and spreads out horizontally.
Turbulence and Extremes Within
Inside the cumulonimbus cloud, William Rankin encountered an exceptionally dangerous environment. Powerful updrafts and downdrafts, with vertical wind speeds potentially reaching 50 knots (55 mph), tossed him violently. These turbulent air currents caused his body to spin and cartwheel, at times lifting him thousands of feet back into the sky before he would descend again. The extreme cold, already present at his ejection altitude, was exacerbated by the winds, leading to severe frostbite.
Hail pelted him with bruising force; some reports indicate these hailstones were the size of baseballs. Lightning, described by Rankin as “blue blades several feet thick,” flashed around him, and he felt the accompanying thunder as a physical shock rather than just a sound. Visibility within the cloud was near zero, and the torrential rain was so dense that he feared drowning, forcing him to hold his breath repeatedly.
Against All Odds: Rankin’s Endurance
Despite the severe conditions, William Rankin endured a prolonged physical and mental ordeal within the cloud. His body, already suffering from decompression and frostbite, was further battered by the extreme turbulence, hail, and intense cold, leading to welts, bruises, and disorientation. He utilized his emergency oxygen supply.
His parachute, designed to automatically deploy at 10,000 feet, opened prematurely at an altitude between 15,000 and 20,000 feet due to the storm’s effect on the barometric switch. This early deployment, while initially slowing his fall, prolonged his exposure to the severe conditions inside the cumulonimbus cloud. The continuous buffeting and the intense environment caused him to vomit during his descent.
After 40 minutes, Rankin finally descended out of the storm and landed in a forest in North Carolina, approximately 65 miles from his ejection point. He collided with a tree upon landing, but his injuries, primarily superficial frostbite and decompression shock, were surprisingly minor given the extremity of his experience. After several weeks of recovery in the hospital, Rankin returned to duty and later chronicled his unique survival in a book. His survival remains a rare testament to human endurance against the forces within a cumulonimbus cloud.