1956 B-47 disappearance

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1956 B-47 disappearance
B47E in flight.jpg
A B-47E Stratojet similar to the incident aircraft.
Accident
Date10 March 1956
SummaryMissing, status unknown
SiteMediterranean Sea
Aircraft typeBoeing B-47E Stratojet
OperatorUnited States Air Force
Registration52-0534
Flight originMacDill Air Force Base, Florida, United States
DestinationBen Guerir Air Base, Morocco
Passengers0
Crew3
FatalitiesUnknown
InjuriesUnknown
SurvivorsUnknown

The 1956 B-47 disappearance occurred on 10 March 1956 over the Mediterranean Sea.

Flight[]

A Boeing B-47 Stratojet, call-sign Inkspot 59, took off from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, in the United States for a non-stop flight to Ben Guerir Air Base, Morocco,[1] and completed the first of two planned aerial refuelings without incident.[2]

After descending through solid cloud cover to begin the second refueling at 14,000 feet (4,300 m), B-47E serial number 52-0534,[1] failed to make contact with its tanker.[3]

The unarmed aircraft was transporting two different capsules of nuclear weapons material in carrying cases; a nuclear detonation was not possible.[4]

Aftermath[]

Despite an extensive search, no debris or bodies were ever found, and the crash site has never been located.[3] The crew was declared dead:

  • Captain Robert H. Hodgin, 31, aircraft commander
  • Captain Gordon M. Insley, 32, observer
  • 2nd Lt. Ronald L. Kurtz, 22, pilot

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Aircraft Serial Number Search
  2. ^ Aviation Safety Network
  3. ^ a b "Check-Six.com – Broken Arrow B-47". Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 11 March 2009.
  4. ^ "DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE – NARRATIVE the best SUMMARIES OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS 1950–1980" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
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