1961 Yuba City B-52 crash
Encyclopedia
The 1961 Yuba City B-52 crash refers to an accident on March 14, 1961, at Yuba City, California
. A B-52F-70-BW Stratofortress
bomber, AF Serial No. 57-0166, c/n 464155, carrying two nuclear weapons, that had departed from Mather Air Force Base
near Sacramento
, experienced an uncontrolled decompression that required it to descend to 10,000 feet in order to lower the cabin altitude
. Increased fuel consumption caused by having to fly at lower altitude, combined with the inability to rendezvous with a tanker in time caused the aircraft to run out of fuel. The aircrew ejected safely, however the unmanned aircraft crashed 15 miles (24.1 km) West of Yuba City, tearing the nuclear weapons from the aircraft on impact.
The weapons did not detonate as their safety devices worked properly. A fireman was killed and several others injured in a road accident while en route to the accident scene.
Yuba City, California
Yuba City is a Northern California city, founded in 1849. It is the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 64,925 at the 2010 census....
. A B-52F-70-BW Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
bomber, AF Serial No. 57-0166, c/n 464155, carrying two nuclear weapons, that had departed from Mather Air Force Base
Mather Air Force Base
Mather Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force Base located east of Sacramento at Rancho Cordova, California on the south side of U.S. Route 50....
near Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, experienced an uncontrolled decompression that required it to descend to 10,000 feet in order to lower the cabin altitude
Cabin pressurization
Cabin pressurization is the pumping of compressed air into an aircraft cabin to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew and passengers when flying at altitude.-Need for cabin pressurization:...
. Increased fuel consumption caused by having to fly at lower altitude, combined with the inability to rendezvous with a tanker in time caused the aircraft to run out of fuel. The aircrew ejected safely, however the unmanned aircraft crashed 15 miles (24.1 km) West of Yuba City, tearing the nuclear weapons from the aircraft on impact.
The weapons did not detonate as their safety devices worked properly. A fireman was killed and several others injured in a road accident while en route to the accident scene.
See also
- List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft