Can We Account for Our Nuclear Weapons?

From: Erich Weinfurter [email protected]

 [T]here have been  21 known accidents involving aircraft and
Nuclear Weapons from 11 April, 1950 to 21 January, 1968. Of these, three
weapons are not accounted for. Documented in James Gibson, "Nuclear
Weapons of the United States" 
The accidents:

13 Feb 1950, A B-36 lost 3 of it's 6 engines and had to jettison the bomb
casing at 8,000 ft over the Pacific. The explosives detonated on impact.
Weapon was in Ferry Mode.

11 Apr 1950, A B-29 crashed into a mountain side outside Kirkland AFB, New
Mexico. The impact detonated in impact, the fission capsule was
recovered. Weapon was in Ferry Mode. 

5 Aug 1950, A B-29 crashed on takeoff at Travis AFB. Fire completely 
enveloped the aircraft, 12-15 minutes later the bomb's high explosive
detonated. 19 Fatalities. Weapon was in Ferry Mode.

13 Jul 1950, A B-50 stalled at 7000ft. and crashed, killing all 16
crewmembers. Weapon was in Ferry Mode.

10 Nov 1950, A B-50 had a in-flight emergency and jettisoned a bomb casing
at 10,500ft, over the ocean. The high explosive detonated on impact.
Weapon was in Ferry Mode.

10 Mar 1956, A B-47 missed its tanker over the Mediterranean. Neither the
plane or the two weapons it was carrying were found. Weapons were in
Ferry Mode.

27 Jul 1956, A B-47 slid off the runway overseas and crashed into a nuclear
weapons storage bunker. The plane was unarmed, but several weapons in
the bunker were damaged.

22 May 1957, A B-36 ferrying a Mk-17 to Kirkland AFB accidentally released
the bomb on final approach. The bomb took the doors off the bomber,
which were closed at the time. (A Mk-17 weighs 41,400 pounds) 3.5 miles
south of the control tower the bomb's high explosive detonated on
impact, producing a crater 25 feet in diameter and 12 feet deep. Weapon
was in Ferry Mode.

11 Oct 1957, A B-47 outrigger tire exploded on takeoff, causing the plane
to crash 3,800 feet from the runway. The bomb casing was damaged but did
not explode. Weapon was in Ferry Mode, the Fission capsule was in the
cockpit.

31 Jan 1958, A B-47 overseas, on a simulated War Order takeoff, crashed when
a tire casing failed causing the rear of the plane to strike the runway
and ruptured a fuel tank. Weapon was in Strike Mode, but the high
explosive did not detonate.

5 Feb 1958, A B-47 collided with a F-86, damaged the bomber made several
landing attempts at Hunter AFB. The bomb casing was jettisoned at 7,200
feet over Wassaw Sound. Weapon was in Ferry Mode.

11 Mar 1958, A B-47 accidently jettisoned a bomb  casing at 15,000 feet
over Florence, SC. The high explosive detionated in impact injuring
several people in the ground. Weapon was in Ferry Mode. 
                 
4 Nov 1958, A B-47 caught fire on takeoff. The high explosive in the bomb
casing detonated causing a crater 35 feet across and 6 feet deep. Weapon
was in Ferry Mode.

26 Nov 1958, A B-47 on Alert caught fire on the ground. Weapon status
unknown, but believed to be in Strike mode as the aircraft was on Alert.
Weapon was destroyed in the fire.

All weapons accidents after 1958, are believed to involve second
generation weapons which had the fission capsule installed at all times.
These depended on electronic and mechanical safety devices. Which
included but are not limited to simple padlocks and physical blocks
which prevented the weapon parts from coming together, or removed the
nuclear initiator from the weapon core, to electronic locks and
failsafes which damaged parts of the weapon to prevent detonation.    

15 Oct 1959, A B-52 collided with a refuel tanker over Hardinsberk Ky. Both
weapons were recovered. 8 of the 12 men involved were killed.

24 Jan 1961, A B-52 had major structural failure of it's right wing over
Goldsboro, NC. Of the two weapons, one was recovered after breaking up
on the ground. The second impacted on a section of waterlogged farmland
(quicksand) Not one piece of the weapon was recovered, even after the
Air Force excavated down 50 feet. The government has an easement on the
land requiring people to obtain permission before any digging can take
place. 3 men died in this accident. (The Weapon is probably a Mk-39,
which has a yield of ~4 Megatons)  

14 Mar 1961, A B-52 lost pressurization and forced to fly at low altitude
ran out of fuel at 10,000 feet over Yuba City, CA. On impact the two
weapons were torn lose from the bomb bay. The Aircraft Commander was
killed.   

13 Jan 1964, A B-52 crashed after structural failure during turbulence,
outside Cumberland, Md. Both  weapons remained with the aircraft and
recovered with only minor damage. 3 of the 5 man crew died.

8 Dec 1964, A B-58 Hustler caught in the jet blast of a departing B-58 slid
off an ice covered runway at Bunker Hill AFB. The bomber caught fire,
and was destroyed. On board were 4 B43 bombs and 1 B39 or B53 bomb. 
(between 8 and 17 Megatons total load out) The navigator was killed when
the ejection pod was activated.

17 Jan 1966, A B-52 collided with a KC-135 tanker over Palomares, Spain. Of
the four B28 bombs (~1 Megatons/each) Two had the high explosive 
detonated on impact spreading radioactive material over a large area.
One parachuted intact. The last one (the empty casing is currently on
display at  the National Atomic Museum at Kirkland AFB, Albuquerque,
NM) landed in the Mediterranean. This one is sometimes referred to as the
weapon where 5 of the 6 safety devices failed. 

21 Jan 1968, A B-52 crashed seven miles short of the runway at Thule,
Greenland. All four B28 bomb were destroyed in the resulting fire. 

Following this last accident, Secretary of Defence R. McNamara
ordered that at no time other then a national crisis would the US
takeoff and fly with an active nuclear weapon on board. 

If you are interested and/or horrified by this part of history, I
recommend you visit the National Atomic Museum at Kirkland AFB. It is
worth the time. The book 'Nuclear Weapons of the United States' by James
Gibson is also a very good source, as good as the Nuclear Weapons
Databooks. 

Erich Weinfurter