The second NACA mission was to be the 26th flight of the X-1A. The flight began normally on 8 August 1955, with the X-1A shackled to the underside of a JTB-29A (45-21800) piloted by Stanley Butchart and John McKay. Other crewmembers included flight engineer Rex Cook, X-1A crew chief Richard Payne, launch panel operators Jack Moise and Charles Littleton, and scanners Merle Woods and Richard DeMore.

Joe Walker entered the X-1A and began launch preparations. At an altitude of 22,000 feet, a sudden explosion rocked the X-1A. Walker egressed the craft unhurt although it was extensively damaged.

Unsuccessful attempts were made to jettison the rocket plane's fuel and it was found that the X-1A's landing gear had deployed and locked. Landing the mated configuration safely would therefore be impossible. The B-29 pilot decided to drop the unmanned X-1A onto the Edwards bombing range. As the mothership crossed over the target area, the X-1A was jettisoned at an altitude of 6,500 feet and impacted several miles south of the town of Boron.