 The B28FI nuclear bomb, recovered from 2,850 feet (870 m) of water, on the deck of the USS Petrel. | |
| Collision | |
|---|---|
| Date | 17 January 1966 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision |
| Site | Mediterranean Sea near Palomares, Almería, Spain 37°14′57″N 1°47′49″W / 37.24917°N 1.79694°W |
| Total fatalities | 7 |
| Total survivors | 4 |
| First aircraft | |
 58-0192, an aircraft similar to the B-52 involved | |
| Type | Boeing B-52G Stratofortress |
| Operator | Strategic Air Command, United States Air Force |
| Registration | 58-0256 |
| Flight origin | Seymour Johnson Air Force Base North Carolina, United States |
| Destination | Seymour Johnson Air Force Base |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Survivors | 4 |
| Second aircraft | |
.jpg) 56-3595, an aircraft similar to the second aircraft involved | |
| Type | KC-135 Stratotanker |
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Registration | 61-0273 |
| Flight origin | Morón Air Base, Spain |
| Destination | Morón Air Base |
| Occupants | 4 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The Palomares incident occurred on 17 January 1966, when a B-52G bomber of the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command collided with a KC-135 tanker during mid-air refueling at 31,000 feet (9,450 m) over the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Spain. The KC-135 was destroyed when its fuel load ignited, killing all four crew members. The B-52G broke apart, killing three of the seven crew members aboard.[1]
At the time of the accident, the B-52G was carrying four B28FI Mod 2 Y1 thermonuclear (hydrogen) bombs,[2][3][4] all of which fell to the surface. Three were found on land near the small fishing village of Palomares in Almería, Spain. The non-nuclear explosives in two of the weapons detonated upon impact with the ground, causing the dispersal of radioactive plutonium, which contaminated a 0.77-square-mile (2 km2) area. The fourth, which fell into the Mediterranean Sea, was recovered intact after a search lasting two and a half months.[5]
- ^ Hayes, Ron (17 January 2007). "H-bomb incident crippled pilot's career". Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- ^ S V Asselin (August 1966). SC-DR-66-397 B-51/KC-135 Collision near Palomares, Spain (U) (Report). Sandia National Labs.
- ^ Maydew, Randall C. (1997). America's Lost H-Bomb: Palomares, Spain, 1966. Sunflower University Press. ISBN 978-0-89745-214-4.
- ^ A Summary of Accidents and Significant Incidents Involving US Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Weapon Systems (U) (Report). Sandia National Labs. 1990.
- ^ Long, Tony (17 January 2008). "Jan. 17, 1966: H-Bombs Rain Down on a Spanish Fishing Village". WIRED. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2008.