Westover AFB

The airplane crashed immediately after liftoff during a three-engine takeoff. Flightcrew had shortened rest break; rest periods not required for ferry flights. Flight crew fatigue from lack of rest, sleep, and disruption of circadian rhythms. Flightcrew did not have adequate, realistic training in three-engine takeoff techniques or procedures. Flight crew did not adequately understand three-engine takeoff procedures, including significance of vmcg. Flight engineer improperly determined vmcg speed, resulting in value 9 knots too low. During first takeoff attempt, captain applied power to asymmetrical engine too soon, was unable to maintain directional control, and rejected the takeoff. Captain agreed to modify procedure by allowing flight engineer to advance throttle, a deviation of prescribed procedure. FAA oversight of operator was inadequate because the poi and geographic inspectors were unable to effectively monitor domestic crew training and international operations. Existing far part 121 flight time limits & rest requirements that pertained to the flights that the flightcrew flew prior to the ferry flights did not apply to the ferry flights flown under far part 91. Current one-engine inoperative takeoff procedures do not provide adequate rudder availability for correcting directional deviations during the takeoff roll compatible with the achievement of maximum asymmetric thrust at an appropriate speed greater than ground minimum control speed. All three crew members were killed.

En route, the crew contacted ATC and declared an emergency following an in-flight fire. The pilot-in-command diverted to Westover AFB and the airplane landed hard and came to rest in flames. All occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While conducting a low-level route at night (training mission from Westover AFB), the airplane went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances into Lake Michigan off Charlevoix, Michigan. Few debris were found but not the wreckage. All nine occupants were killed.
Crew:
Maj Gerald W. Black, pilot,
1st Lt Dennis Ferguson, copilot,
Lt Col John M. Somonfy Jr., navigator,
Lt Col William Lemmon, navigator,
Cpt John E. Weaver, navigator,
Cpt Joel G. Hirsh, navigator,
Maj Donald F. Rosseau, EWO,
1st Lt Douglas Bachman, EWO,
T/Sgt Jerry M. Achey, air gunner.

While cruising in a blizzard at an altitude of 30,000 feet, the crew encountered severe turbulences and the airplane started an uncontrollable descent. Both pilot were able to eject while three other occupants were killed when the airplane crashed in a snow covered and wooded area located on the Savage Mountain. The aircraft was totally destroyed.
Crew:
Maj Thomas W. McCormick, pilot,
Cpt Parker C. Peedin, copilot,
Maj Robert E. Townley, bomb aimer, †
Maj Robert L. Payne, navigator, †
T/Sgt Melvin F. Wooten, tail gunner. †

The crew was completing a local training flight at Westover AFB and encountered poor visibility due to heavy rain falls. On final, the airplane was too low, struck trees and crashed on a hilly and wooded terrain (777 feet high) located 5 miles short of runway and one mile to the left of the approach path. Three crew members were injured and the fourth occupant was killed. For unknown reason, the aircraft passed below the decision height and was not properly aligned.

The crew was engaged in a training flight out from Westover AFB. While cruising at low height, control was lost. Three crew members were able to bail out before the aircraft crashed in the Elephant Mountain Range located near Greenville. Seven crew members were killed while two survived.
Crew (99th BS):
Lt Col Dante Bulli, pilot,
Maj Robert J. Morrison, copilot, †
Cpt Gerald Adler, navigator,
Lt Col Joe R. Simpson Jr., †
Maj William W. Gabriel, †
Maj Robert J. Hill, †
Cpt Herbert L. Hansen, †
T/Sgt Michael F. O'Keefe, †
Cpt Charles G. Leuchter. †

The crew was engaged in a training mission out from Westover AFB. En route, while cruising near the Canadian border by night, the aircraft slowly banked to the left without any action from the pilot-in-command who apparently suffered a blackout. The airplane descended with a rate of 2,000 feet per minute when the navigator thinking she was breaking up ejected without direction from the pilot. Eventually, the captain instructed all crew to bail out as well and the airplane crashed and burned in an open field located near Plainfield, making a crater 350' long, 30' deep and 30' wide. Eight occupants were found alive while the body of the navigator was found seven months later.

The aircraft, assigned to the 384th AREFS, departed from Westover AFB on a refueling mission. The KC-97 collided with a B-52 during refueling at an altitude of about 15,000 feet. The aircraft lost the whole left horizontal stabilizer and elevator, the rudder was missing and the upper fourth of the vertical stabilizer. They made a no-flap, electrical power off landing at night at Dow AFB. Two crew members on the B-52 parachuted to safety. The plane remaining crew members continued to Springfield-Westover AFB, MA (CEF) where a safe landing was made.
Source:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19591214-0

While on a training mission from Westover AFB, the crew encountered technical problems after the radome detached in flight. The captain elected to divert to the nearest airport but due to poor weather conditions, ATC vectored the crew to Goose Bay, about 860 miles northeast of his position. As he could not make it, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in the Spruce swamp located near Fremont. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all eight crew members were later found uninjured.
Crew:
Cpt George E. Kusch,
S/Sgt Arnold Newman,
Cpt Joseph L. Bivins,
Cpt Thaddeus I. Cheate,
Cpt Donald Bell,
Cpt Wayne G. Vogt,
1st Lt Joseph L. Hunt,
T/Sgt Merril R. Hethorn.

The aircraft was conducting a special flight from Westover AFB to RAF Brize Norton, near London, carrying a crew of seven and eight american journalists who covered the first transatlantic flight on a KC-135 airplane. Two other similar aircraft left the airbase earlier and 56-3599 was the third of a series of four. At liftoff from runway 23, the airplane encountered serious difficulties to gain height and struck trees with its right wing. It then struck power cables and crashed in a huge explosion on the Massachusetts highway about 1,000 yards past the runway end. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 15 occupants have been killed.