United States of America

The crew was engaged in a routine cold war training mission out from Loring AFB, Maine. While cruising by night at an altitude of 36,400 feet over Minnesota State, the tail broke off and the airplane went into a dive. In 108 seconds, the heavy bomber descended at high speed to the altitude of 8,000 feet before crashing in a huge explosion in Inver Grove Heights, about 7,5 miles south of Saint Paul. The aircraft was totally destroyed but one crew member survived while seven others were killed.
Crew:
Cpt G. Horstman, pilot, †
Cpt Richard J. Cantwell, navigator, †
Maj S. O. Gillespie Jr., radar observer, †
1st Lt F. Huskey, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Leon R. Lew, tail gunner, †
Cpt James D. Taylor, instructor, †
Cpt Bernard D. Lanois, instructor, †
Cpt Jack Douglas Craft.

Shortly after takeoff from Elmendorf AFB, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed in flames. Seven passengers were rescued while 13 other occupants were killed. It is believed the accident was the consequence of an engine failure shortly after rotation.

The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Spokane AFB, consisting of visual and instruments approaches and landings. While approaching runway 23, at a distance of about three miles from the threshold, the crew cancelled his instruments approach to continue on visual mode. In the mean time, the second B-52 registered 56-0661 which was on second position must switch from visual mode to instruments approach procedures. To follow the approach procedures and as both crews were not coordinated, the approach controller instructed the first crew to gain altitude while turning to the right and instructed the second crew to reduce his altitude while turning to the left. Few seconds later, at an altitude of 900 feet, both aircraft collided and crashed. On board 56-0681, five crew members were killed while two others were seriously injured. On board 56-0661, only one crew survived, all eight others have been killed.

The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Spokane AFB, consisting of visual and instruments approaches and landings. While approaching runway 23, at a distance of about three miles from the threshold, the crew switched from visual mode to instruments. In the mean time, another B-52 registered 56-0681 which was on first position must switch from instruments to visual mode. To follow the approach procedures and as both crews were not coordinated, the approach controller instructed the first crew to gain altitude while turning to the right and instructed the second crew to reduce his altitude while turning to the left. Few seconds later, at an altitude of 900 feet, both aircraft collided and crashed. On board 56-0681, five crew members were killed while two others were seriously injured. On board 56-0661, only one crew survived, all eight others have been killed.

The crew was engaged in a fire fighting mission in the region of Pozo (16 miles east of San Luis Obispo) when the tanker crashed in unknown circumstances. Both pilots were killed.
Crew:
Arnel James Talbot Jr.,
Stuart Ashburn Kilgour.

At approximately 0329LT, the airplane crashed on takeoff from Wold-Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota. A number of the 62 persons (including 2 infants) aboard suffered serious injuries but there were no fatalities. Fire, which broke out a short time after all occupants were evacuated, consumed the aircraft. The aircraft took off normally and climbed to a height of about 100 feet. It then gradually nosed over and entered a descent which continued until it struck the ground. Sky conditions were clear; however, the prevailing visibility was about three miles in fog, and in localized areas around the airport it was reduced to lens than a mile by patches of denser fog. Takeoff was made on runway 22 and the climbout was a from a lighted, built-up section toward an open, unlighted area. The Board believes that the pilot while trying to remain contact in reduced visibility allowed the nose of the aircraft to drop when flaps were retracted because of inattention to flight instruments. The darkness and reduced visibility during climbout contributed to a sensory illusion which completely obscured the fact of descent from the pilot.

Enroute, the seaplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the Brooks Range, in the region of Anaktuvuk Pass. All three occupants were killed.

The aircraft flew into the water of Lynn Canal near Eldred Rock, 65 miles north-northwest of Juneau, Alaska, at approximately 1525LT. Six of the eight passengers and the pilot were seriously injured. One passenger died four days later. The aircraft, an amphibian, descended into the glassy water in cruising configuration from an established cruise altitude of approximately 200 feet. The aircraft received major damage from impact, sank, and was not recovered.

During a night approach to Nantucket, the aircraft went through an area of fog. The crew decided to continue the approach when the airplane struck the ground, crashed and burned about 1,450 feet short of runway 24. All three crew members and 22 passengers were killed while nine others were injured, some of them seriously.

Lost in a crash landing with VX-6 at Ontario. While taking off for an acceptance check flight at Ontario, a landing gear ski jammed and the aircraft was destroyed while attempting an emergency landing a few minutes later. There were no injuries but the aircraft was destroyed.