Date & Time:
Jul 5, 1967 at 1648 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
Operator:
Registration:
57-6494
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
464199
YOM:
1957
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Ramey AFB, Aguadilla, while climbing to a height of 3,000 feet, the airplane adopted a nose-down attitude then plunged into the sea off Jobos Beach. Three crew members who were able to bail out before impact were found alive while four others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Cpt Donald Foster, pilot, †
Cpt Erwin Cowart, copilot, †
Cpt Taivo Patajan, navigator,
1st Lt Paul Grimm, navigator,
1st Lt Richard St. George, EWO, †
S/Sgt Leroy Spencer, crew Chief, †
T/Sgt Ronald Hagis, gunner.
Crew:
Cpt Donald Foster, pilot, †
Cpt Erwin Cowart, copilot, †
Cpt Taivo Patajan, navigator,
1st Lt Paul Grimm, navigator,
1st Lt Richard St. George, EWO, †
S/Sgt Leroy Spencer, crew Chief, †
T/Sgt Ronald Hagis, gunner.
Probable cause:
It was determined that a life raft stowed behind the copilot inflated during initial climb, pushing him into the control column.
