Harrison Kass, an attorney and former Air Force pilot selectee, evaluates the harrowing 1966 "Mach 3 Breakup" of an SR-71 Blackbird, a survival story that redefined high-altitude flight safety.

“Try that in any aircraft other than the SR-71. besides, this is actually a true story,” pilot David Peters said after recalling a Pacific flight that made the calendar look optional. The Blackbird’s ...