It was July 26, 1959, when Rankin was piloting his F-8 Crusader, a single-engine supersonic aircraft, along the North Carolina Coast. When the aircraft was approximately 9 miles and mere minutes away from the military base, Rankin's engine quit, and the fire warning light switched on. Unable to restart the engine that’d lost all power, the man knew he didn't have many options. He knew he had to eject. What happened later sounds like a miracle, but it's actually true.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices