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Has a fighter jet ever landed itself after the pilot ejected?Yes, on 02 February 1970, Captain Gary Foust entered a flat spin while flying an F-106. Foust deployed the F-106’s drogue chute as a last resort in an attempt to recover from the spin. Foust escaped the doomed aircraft by ejecting at an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,600 m). The F-106 mysteriously landed itself on a Montana farm field. The F-106 was later repaired and put back into service.Prior to ejecting, Foust trimmed the aircraft and set the engine to idle. The ejection changed the center of gravity due to the loss of weight and rocket thrust. After Foust ejected, the F-106 not only recovered from the spin, but it landed on the snowy field.The thrust from the still-idling engine allowed the aircraft to slowly drift on its belly. While Foust was rescued by locals driving snowmobiles, the Sheriff was instructed to let the aircraft drift until it ran out of fuel. Forty-five minutes later, the jet engine shut down. The F-106 that landed itself (tail # 58-0787) was nicknamed the "Cornfield Bomber" even though it landed on a snow-covered wheat field.Because there was no major structural damage, the F-106 was transported to McClellan Air Force Base to receive repairs and later returned to service. After nine years, Foust was reassigned to fly the “Cornfield Bomber” once again.Upon its retirement, the “Cornfield Bomber” was presented to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in August 1986, where it remains on display. (Located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Dayton, Ohio)