'4' '5 8 5 2 33 _ BEST AV OPY ACCIDENT REPORT OF BS2G NEAR SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR POJlCE BASE NOR'nl CAROLINA 000033205 D00033912 SCDR lOl-61 iJG 1 • RS M23 506 MAR 1 H CONFIRMED TO BE UNCLASSIFIED 1966 7182-1 February 1961 INVENTORIED DOE OFFICE OF CLASSIFICATION DC Hix AU-63 ------ -- - fie DATE 9 30 20 14 MARR Q '· 'f Approved b y 6 it otter 71 196S 3427•1 ABSTRACT January 24 thrwib Jan11 ry 31 19111 a trip wa1 made to Ciold•boro North Ca rolina to couect in· formation reprdin1 t he nuclear weapon •afety basard• in connection with the cruh of a B52G a ircratt t the SAC alrbome alen force 'Ibe aircraft wu carJ Yini two Mk 39 Mod 2 weapooa 'Ibere · were no detonation• of either of the weapona no radiolopcal a fety basarda reaulted from the accident All procedure• u ouilulec ' iD appropriate Air Force manual• for enaurln that weapon• of thia type are rendered ate were followed by the EOD team on the alte The two •eapona were aeparated froin the a ircratt aa a reault of aircraft breakup 011 one weapon the par· acbute deployed foe other fell in a free - fall trajectory 1be a fety feature • or both bomb• behaved In a normal manner No basard from ie weapon• reaulted The public relationa thro l bOui tbi a incident were handled by thf' Air Force in a bipl ' coinpetent manner THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS 8 PAGES lCO 21 1' 21 COPIU SElt IBS A 1 2014007759 I REST DlSTRIBUTJON l•ll 21A • K F Hertford ALO For Bria Gen A W Bette OMA Ln SL Attn Max Roy W Division LRL Attn J Foater Livermore Technical Libra ry OMA Attn Col S Goldenbere 0 P Dickason Storage Divialon Huab Kay Weapon S lety Branch Commandine Office r AFSWC SWOI For Col P Gwynn SAC Resident Represimtative Col C B Stewart Fe DA SA For L t Col Strickland Lt Col Schuyler 12 2 IA · D M Olson 7162 13 2 1A • M G Raadle 3421-2 14 21A - R K Smeltzer 3421 - 3 l 5 21A - W F Carstens J42 l 16 2JA - A D Pepmueller 8233 l 7- 2 1 21A - R C Smelich 3466-1 Reproduction Permission Tiua report i 11 not to be reproduced lll whole or in part without written permiesion by the mana1er o the originatin1 department ACCIDENT REPORT OF B52G AUK RAFT RASH NEAR SEYMOOR JOHNSON AlR FORCE BASE NORTH CAROL DU Iotroduction At approximately 12 30 am EST tbe mor1 m1 or January 2• 1961 a B52G a ircraft carryinj two Mk 39 Mod 2 -apona crallhed near Seymour Jobnaon AJl'B North Carolin a ' f o aircraft waa atationed at Seymour Johnaon and wu on ll SAC airborne alert miHion o-r the Atlanti c Ocean and the Eaat Coaat of the U nited St tea Dur1n1 a refllelin operation over the Atlantic the airmen m the tanker plane adviHd tbe Commander of the B52 that he had a fuel leak in hia ria ht wt and that tbe tanker plane wu aeparatinl rrorn the BS2 The 862 pilot immediately contacted Se 'DIOUr Jobn 9on reported the fuel leak and that he had complete control of the plane- and requeeted inatructioaa from SeYJIMNJ' Johnaon Re advieed at that time tony over the ocean and b lm 11p hie e ceH fuel While 1n the act of burnin1 up the ellcHa tuel 1n the aircraft the bole in the riibt win1 apparently came a major rupture and it is reported that the aircraft lost 37 000 pounda ol fuel in a twom in11te Ume period Followinc tbia action the aircraft commander still had complete control of the airplane and waa instructed by Seymour John110n to come in over the land and prepare to make a lancilq Normal pro· cedure in thia • ituation ia for the 1rcraft to do a •lmulated landina at approximately 10 000 feet to aaaure that the aircr ft commander hall control or the plane The pilot waa maJwac bi a atabilis atian nm• when he loat complete control ol the 1rcraft the aircraft app rently loat a win1 or a portion of a wiq Tbe air crew waa ordered to bail out and five of the eip it member• aboard did 1et out a Live The other three member• were killed The ere members reported that both Mk 3 Mod 2 weapona - N atUl aboard the aircraft and aJ i the awitche• were 11 the normal Safe po1ttion when they bailed out Sometime between bail-out of the crew and the craah of the airplau both Mk 39 weapona were aeparated lrom the 1rcr ft Tbe wrecka1e of the aircraft wu strewn alon1 the rup it path 1·or a diatance of approximately one and a ball milea I lrivestiptlon PartiH and A d ivity A irroup left Kirtland Air Poree Bue at a pproximately 8 30 am MST the mom in of January 2• 1961 via C-4'1 aircraft to adviae on rnattera of nuclear aalety The irrc up conateted of two teama Team 1 repreMntine the Directorate of Nuclear Safety Research DNSR conaiated of Col Cbarlee Malitz Lt Col Francie Smith Lt Col Emeat Stuart and Capt Barry O'Grady 1ri addition Capt Geor e Martin Crorn APSWC wu 1n the party Team 2 repreaenting the AEC waa made up of Mr RoH Speer ALO Mr Tbeodore Scolman and Mr David Smith from oa Alamo and Mr H D Bicke t man SanJia Corporation Theae tea ma arrived at Seymour Johaaon Air Force Bue at approximately 10 15 pm EST the nilht at January 24 1961 Upon arrival at Sc iymour Johnaon Col Malit repo rted to Col O ' Jonea c mmander al the 42 let St elfc Wini at Seymour Johnaon • ' ld to Bri1 Gen A H Moore Commander of the Fourth TAC Wini at Seymour Johnaon Already on the scene were L t Gen Sweeney Commander of the Eilfblh Air Force from Weatover Air Force Bue and Col John Kline Chief al the Di ter Control Team for Eipth Air Poree and Gen Sweeney'• per · aonal repreaentatlve Col Kline remau ad on the ecene throupout the lnveati ation EOD per onnel on the acene included tbe EOD officer of the 53rd Munition Maintenance Squadron MMS at Seymour John110n A P B an BOD team fro1n Wri1ht·Patter110n AFB the EOD officer of the Fourth Tactical Win ' at Seymour Jobnaon AFB and an OD officer fro1n Ei tith Air Poree Westover APB Mue At the time oft he arrival of the tea ma from the Albuque e area no work wu taltini place at the accident alto The followin1 momin1 at approJdm ately 8 15 the t e IDII were briefed by Lt Col IC B Kini the afety officer of the UU1t Strate i c Win and Major R E Manley the ComlD Dder ol the 5Srd MYS at Seymour Johnaon AFB Io thia briefinl we were IMfflaed that weapon No 1 aerial No 34909 which wu in the after bomb bay f the 1152 had been fou ' d e Mntlally intact in a vertical p011ition with it• noae penetraun1 aome 18 inchea of North Carolina nDdy aoU abortly after the craab The paracbvte pack on tbia weapon bad operated aucceaatuuy and the -apon had been '11urmed by U EOD team d l _Mmbled and returned to tbe 53rd MYS lnapect1on and Stora e Buildin - We were alao advised a t that tune that a bole baa been fo11Dd which apparently wu cauaed by the Mc ond weapon The crater wu 5 feet deep and approldmately 9 feet in ctiameter 'n first NYmptiOD by the people on the • ite lb• U re had bND • one-polnl dirtonaUoa ti tbe BE lD the HCODd ••llPOII whicb callNd W • crater Tbe aria nwllber of the • eCODd ia S 19U ••paa lmaecUately l0Uow1n1 thi• bri•fta tbe m embere of the teama b'om the Alllucperlfle aru dep m-d for the Crull all• and • peat Ule mluce ottbe moraine lookiq tbe l H apeaalailnl u to WbeU r or not then had beCD a ODt•potnt de1-Uon of wee poa No a • nd 1D - era N J CbiAI out the area loaltinc for any • ipa that could be of illtereat to ua in OW UIYHUp tiora•• ow - A datailed eaminatlon or the companeau in -apoa No l made tbli ftemoon of J a11 ry 15 lHl and the morainl ol Jaauar H 1911 We• po11 No a • ert l nwnber 36910 not detimtely located Wll U late Prlday aftel IIOClll of Jamaary 21 lHl and cbt to worldq difflc ultv• • u er INl face -ter in the craie wh ch wu N • trictin tbe difPDI operatloa and • imila r occurr-ence • weapon component• -re not av Uable tor examinatial1 Wltil 1M monwic of J maar7 28 lHl - The pencianel trom s dla Corporation ALO and Loa Al moa SctentUlc Laboratory remat i d the of Srmda1 Jaau ry 21 lHl llr Speer ALO and Mr Bickebllan proceeded to WublJlalon D C and briefed Br11 Ga A W Betta uid Col S Oolct- be•t at DMA and Gen Loper Office of the u 1- ant to the Secretary of O fellN for Atom Jc EMro on the N • vlt • of our iaveatiption Cr NI a ti wail 1 he mona111 A • ketcb of the area al tta aircnlt accident Ftaure l ebow9 tllat the aircraft boMI broken illto RYer I p • 1D tbe air 1be majo r win - u ea and the ere• compartment• fOIIDd in an inverted po• iUoii eeverely bunled and completely demollalled Whether thi • inffrted poaitJon _ the nnlt ol one wtJic-over or a conli Duowt l 'ntJ na act loo no one la e · i-e A • IDdicat d lD the aetcb ooe portloft ot tne ai ·cratt t he tail aecuon WU tow id one mil• Crom the oc aUoa of tbe WJ na and en• compartment of tbe aircraft Bnall- 111 of tbe aucraft It wu Hum ed occurred 1D the Ylcln lty of 9 000 feet altitude 'nM • e part • ol tbe aircraft whicb lm· pacted oa the pollnd abo-d eJCCept for tbe ail Nction • Ip of e eveN t urat q The rear t -udl and boJ Db bay area eaped Uy • bowed cp • ol a • ewre fuel fire nu aircraft wu eqwpped with • T-241 Alr Nft llomtor and Control Umt and • T-aao Readlne •• Switch Tbe• e were not reeonred ••N Weapon Wrecu e fiown Tbe 8520 cuned two Mk 39 Mod 2 weapona Tbe • e weapon• -re be on airborne alert under Jl J'e y ru lu wbich bave been app oyed b the lleadquarten United St at•• Air Poree and the A EC T leae r e that tbe ua rack lock will be l fety Haled 1n a lock position Ule T-249 Aircraft lloni1or and Control and T- 80 Re diDe •• Switch Will be tetied a ad Haled 1a t be position and the sail al pina will be in• talled 1D the pillout rod - -1 Ably nil•• •atr• Weapon No 11 Sert al No 434909 Thi • poD oc wtueh Alt • 1114 189 and 180 bad been performed Tbu -apon left eatima tecl altitude of I 000 ffL The armq pulled a Ule tiJ M ol • -pa ration from the alrc raft tbe wea ioc pan chute deployed 1n a normal m • mMr and tbe •HPOG impacted 1n • -ady clay ao1l Uld penetrated a r'eptb of approxtmately 18 l acta •• 'nle -•pon wa• found 1a a vertical po• ltioo with tbe para• chute baaclna i Jl t be adjacent tt'N •• A JIC ft·mortem eumlnalion of the weapo1J l adlcated tbe followi-nl wu a Ilk 39 Mod 2 rods- - tbe aircraft at u 1 OD tbe wnpoa cu e the bolee wluch tbe ti Qc pin• pau not d ml atd theNto N the MINJDPf ioo ia Uaa tbe u ttq pllla re pwlad 1D a compan tiwly aonna l loqitudinal manmr armtnc rocla bad 2 Tbe 3 ni JIC·IU Blech O rator bad been operated •• TIie MC-MO Low Voltqe Tbtrmal Baiter bad f1Nd been pulled ' LAYOUT Of CkASH SCENE 'Not to Salt ' fl •IIX ol Flight N Une r W On Na z from front S N 35990 Bomb Bly 500 Yants Stlll ar11 Owlous Fuel Are Low Order Explosion •••••• Tret Unt Wllpon fl S N O U Parachut Hunt In TrNS Tret Un• Rt-Wing Tip 9 5 The MC-141 Kiah Voll a• Tbenn l Battery bad fired I 'nie •qwbe f U Lo• Al moe Scfentilic Laborato ry lA Valve M ecbanillm on the re NOir had aot been fired and lbe trit ium wu retained ill tbe reMrvolr '1 1be MC-543 Ti mer had been operated and coa p p leted ita ti mini cycle I 1be IIC-132 Tnjectory Annilll b roawitcb llhowed all Ole contact• cloaed ll Tbe MC-'181 Kipi Vol aae s tui Switch wu ID a •• •• poaltlon 10 Tbe M C-772 Low Voltap Arm We Switch WM LD a •we• poeltion The appearance bere le that the tea riq apart ol tbe aJrcnlt remowd tbe '1111 pin a from Ulie Bl•ch pnen tor the weapon went throupi a nonnal NqUence of eftllta 1n wb lcb • detonation wu prevented by the KC-722 Arm Sale Switch be1D1 ill the •we• poaluon arminr rocu wicl from that potnt onward ln the recove17 operation lbe EOD personnel perfonDed renderlnl eafe procedun• which c lled for PincninC and cuttill1 tbe fill tube between the reaerwir and tbe pit ol the weapoD and then dteuaembliQs the weapon to ID ilurnt the effect• of aQY cletonatlon Wbe n - eaw WII weapon the reaenoir had be•n n moved the primary bad been removed from tbll weapon caee and theee paru -re ltOred in a ston• area of the 53rd MKS 'Ibe cone 11ajon to be drawn from tb le le that all o the Saadia component• performed u upected 1n • bomb •eparated from the aircraft I A a e fed coqdi Uon Thi• 11 it le beinf returned by tlw 53rd IIMS • qwidron to e ither Medina S e or to Claruvill e Baae - dirN ted by the AEC -•pon Weapon No 2 1 Serial No 358K3 w- -•pon -•poa 'nu • a M k 38 Mod 2 on which Alta 184 188 and 190 had ken performed nu eeparat«d from the c ircraft and did IIOt h w norm I parach1 te deplo 'illl nt 1be -•pon impacted u a fne•fall b W a lic device 1n •ancly clay Ulcl pe netrated a miolrnum l lepth of 15 to 11 fNt F1pre 2 At Uae Ume of our return to tbe Albuquerqie lll'H neiU ler tbe primary nor the eeeonda ry o tbe -•pon bad been recovered the pl'im ary wu recovered on Jan SI at a depth of about 20 feet However 1 r - portlou of the weapon cau bad been recovered at a aeplh of about 15 feet 1be parachute pack Dd the fll UII atld firLD1 component• of the wett ncovered in the condition -•pcm l 1be parachute bad not been deployed Qnfonnatioo from Stratelic Air Command oow indicatee that the parachute deployment mech niem the ewploelve dericee a n d timer• did operate flie rneon for tbe parachute not deplo 'in ' la unkn- W I at U le moment 2 1be MC-84 Bi eh Geoen tor a rmin roda bad beeo pulled from tbe •eapon 3 1be MC-8'0 Low Voltap Thermal Battery bad been actuated The Mc-s a Timer had nm eome 12 to 15 Hcondl and apparently-• atopped ln ii• operatloa at that ti me by the aenre damap suffered t l mplu t 6 The MC-8'1 Hi h Volillp Thermal Batte17 had not fired 'lb I• ia normal • in« the NC - SO Timer con1 acta bad not cloeed At impact the wut autrered aevere phy•ical d ma or 8 1be M C-772 Arm Safe Switch pve a vt al Lndicatioo A RM bo ever • po•t•mortem cODducted 011 thla e 'ldtcl indlce ted that tne •witch bad underaone HNN lnterne l d map and 1n fact he rotatinc walere ud been ••pa rated from tbe caalada In th• •witch All ind icatlon e • re t the contact• ne·Hr operated to the ABM poeiUon 1 The equiba In the IA UMmbl o n t be - M r YOir O f W • ea ic ha d n ot bee n - fj -'a nd tbe '-' rl t_-_ 7 wae retained ineide th• reaervolr 1WD b 3 Del ted a 11111 Nc-aa Explo tve Switch be cl been a cwa1ed and wu broken from DOE ta MC•5'3 nmar • D leted DOE b 3 7 _ COSQP009U recon'Nd from Md in tact tbe poattioa of tbeN co - tbetuel wu ln41N1• that Ulen - - DOI • W • pohll - Uon in weapon All of tlae put• of tbe poa were in• tde tbe bole wblcb wu caia• ed b r tbe b W• ttc uu of n to tbe fualac ADIi f1Nac r-n a -•• ocC l'nel aa mpM t 1 bll U2 bomb radt 1111d - 1 mec b n1• m for W• POD wa• found 1D lblt 111Mnl viclmt7 in •blcb tbe tail NCtJoD of U arena alld weapor No 1 _ fCNDd 1'bl • 1MCNDIUD wu ffMm1ally lmct t1ae Nllaa piu JD U releue -cbeel • D -re in 1111d a l rp piece ol • Jn raft matertal •ill attacbed to one ade or the rau ti»_ _ c1ama - OD_ n re Se DO - r ol determlnillC bow tbeM wnpou o in fact U M weapou telt tbe atrcnft 111111 IDd1caUCIII No 2 tbat the Um11r• ran approumately 12 caade le U U UWI weapaa MJl rated b-om lta rac ll or 1r t leut tbat the •l IIWlS l OCl8 were pulled at an alUt Mk ol • ome 2000 to 3000 faet TIIS • 11 'hued OD U t bDe rec atred for fl ff be W • Uc fall Bowenr tlae wlocit7 Md poe Uon of tbe w apoa wbeD the armln1 l OCl8 -re palled t • allbJect to aome epeeulation Tbe nlocity component• in either vertie l or loalitudinal direcUoe N uabowa aad therefore a pomtlve etate u to wbeD W left tbe aircraft ·C ADOt be made -•pon ' be fact that tbe aaliac l OCl8 bad been pulled from botb of tbeM • Uldkatel that chariDC u break Q o1 tbe ai -cn ft I be lanyard to U MlillC plu 11 l icb l• •eCUN11 in tbe Uot• ' compartment wu pw l ed due to the fore • of aircraft breaJcvp Tbe T ·HI'• in 11620 a Ire raft are located in the navip or '• co melll lllld t1l1• 111 01W part of tbe a l r plau wblcb cutfered • avere bu-aina Some pane of tbe T- 241'• _ foaad but no ckt• rmlDalioa can be made at tb1a lime u to their concHUoa Bowrnr a lolical unmption becaUN of tbe coadiUaa of the weapona la tbat tbe T·241 'a aad tbl T·HO Readinau S itcb wer-t in fact in the Safe Ott poaltlo o Security Security wu c oatroUad au tbe • ceDe of W acctdeat b7 the p• r - 1 from Sly-mow- Jobaaoo AFB with aaet at aace from U Nortb Carolw 8tate Police Pnu rele • nre made immN1 te1y an cl appeared in tbl 'J'ue·e day enatnc newspapeH in tbl ana 1be deta U • ol tbe en ah u far u the7 ••re t blD known Fftll lllld tbe fact that tbe a1r-cJ-aft carried t - nuclear W-• pmla made lmown A atatemelll to tbe fact that lM weapou nre both Nie and that ao ndiololfe l bu rda eldated wu in the papers P'ollowiq 1ume additional human imareet atorlea tlae MCODd day the matter wu dropped from tu local neY1paper• u no lonpr newa wo ID tbl opinloa of tlle writer the beat awmnertution of W accident ia bat u aircraft accident 1111der extNmely 1111- al ctreumatuic ee cau ed h o auci r apon11 Ilk 31 Mod 2 to Mparate fll'Om tbe aircraft 01De ol tlaeN apona anderw at • normal rele ue C 4 in wbich tbe paradute opened and t he compo aeJlta of tbe weapoa Ybida -re tna an OJIIIOrtwltly to actuate by the pullia of tbe B iecb rod a did bebaff in the mumer e tpect e d Pull operatJoa ol tbia weapon wu prevented ts tbe IIC- 712 Arm Safe httcb tbe primary ea ftqdn1ce Weapoo No 2 llbicb •derw at a o other tbaD • aon a l rel• from the aircraft evidenced b U fact that tbe paracbute did not deploy ai o bad tta arllliq rode extracted and 0 0 co1QP091aat• wblch liffll tbe oppll't ai to a et did act IA tbe mam r expected Plall opention ol dl1a -apoo wu • d by ••re --ralllwlp lty to 1 Impact OCCIU'nd • o aooa after NpLntion of tbe Blacb roda tbat tbe timera were not liwn an opportun· down f'lm I 'l'llle Arm Se le Swttcb wu in tbe •we• coadftion u tbe WMl CID left tbe aircraft Tbere la mucb flluble illforma JGn to be pined from thl a lacldlDt and tbe poat-mortea• u llsiDC CODlbact• cl at tbe JIN S UIDII abolald pro- lcll wt mo N teclla ical iDfonlWUoa in tbe aear t lture A _ n e tec lmlcal report lncb•clla1 appn prute wt1l ba pabHabed wt D poat•morteaaa N comp te udplaoCop'apbll N ft1lable I