U.S. B-52 bomber crashes off Guam, killing 2 crew

[David]

MANILA (Reuters) - Two U.S. airmen were killed and four missing after their B-52 bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean shortly after take-off on Monday, while preparing to fly in a Liberation Day parade in the U.S. territory of Guam, officials said.

The bomber, which had no weapons on board, crashed at 9:45 a.m. local time (2345 GMT Sunday), about 15 minutes before the parade was due to begin, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement. There were six crew members.

The bodies of two airmen were later recovered approximately 30 miles northwest of Guam, where a search and rescue operation was still under way involving U.S. Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and other U.S. and Guam agencies.

The Air Force said one of the crew members had been identified but that the airman's identity would be withheld until next-of-kin could be notified.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash. The Air Force said a board of officers was investigating.

An Air Force official was quoted on the Pacific Daily News Web site as saying the plane had been meant to take part in a parade commemorating Guam's 1944 liberation from Japanese occupation in World War Two.

The island, under U.S. control since 1898, is the only significantly populated U.S. territory ever to have been occupied by a foreign power.

In February, a B-2 stealth bomber, which costs around $1.2 billion, crashed at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. The two pilots on board ejected safely.

[DeadlyDaring]

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The first fatal B-52 crash was in February 1956 a B-52 Stratofortress exploded in mid-air near Tracy, California, this was caused by a faulty alternator., claiming the lives of all five crew members. Twenty B-52Bs, carrying the suspect equipment, were immediately grounded. In addition, the Air Force stopped further B-52 deliveries.

December 12 1957 - A U.S. Air Force B-52 crashes on takeoff at Fairchild AFB near Spokane, Washington. All crew members are killed except the tail gunner

September 8 1958 – Two B-52s collide over the town of Airway Heights near Fairchild AFB. Thirteen crew members are killed, while three survive.

October 15 1959 - A USAF B-52F-100-BO, 57-036, collides with KC-135 tanker, 57-1513, over Hardinsberg, Kentucky, crashes with two nuclear weapons on board, killing four of eight on the bomber and all four tanker crew.

January 24 1961: A USAF B-52G-95-BW, 58-0187, on airborne alert suffers structural failure, fuel leak, of starboard wing over Goldsboro, North Carolina, Five of eight crew survive

January 13 1964 - United States Air Force B-52D-10-BW, 55-060, suffers structural failure in turbulence of winter storm, crashes approximately 17 miles SW of Cumberland, Maryland. Pilot, co-pilot, eject, survive. Navigator, tail gunner, eject, die of exposure. Radar nav fails to eject

January 17 1966 – A B-52 Stratofortress collides with a KC-135 Stratotanker during aerial refueling near Palomares, Spain in the Palomares hydrogen bombs incident. Seven crew members are killed in the crash

January 21 1968 - A B-52G-100-BW Stratofortress, 58-0188, c.n. 4642256, from Plattsburgh AFB, New York, 1 crew member killed

October 9 1969 - A USAF B-52F-70-BW, 57-0172, of the 329th Bomb Squadron, crashed about 1,000 feet beyond end of runway while doing touch-and-goes at Castle AFB, California. All six crew died in the 11:45 p.m. accident as the Stratofortress exploded on impact

April 3 1970 - A USAF B-52 of the 26th Bomb Wing caught fire and crashed during landing at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, skidding into a brick storage building containing 25,000 gallons of jet fuel. Heroic efforts by crash crew save all nine on board, although one suffered broken limbs, and three firefighters were injured. One of the eight jet engines ran for forty minutes following crash.

January 7 1971 - An unarmed USAF B-52C-45-BO, 54-2666, of the 9th BW, Westover AFB, Massachusetts, crashed into Lake Michigan near Charlevoix, Michigan during a practice bomb run, exploding on impact. Only a small amount of wreckage, two life vests, and some spilled fuel was found in Little Traverse Bay. Bomber went down six nautical miles from the Bay Shore Air Force Radar Site. Nine crew KWF

March 31 1972 - Twenty minutes after take-off from McCoy AFB, Florida, a USAF B-52D-80-BO, 56-0625, of the 306th Bomb Wing, suffers in-flight fire in engine number seven which spreads to starboard wing; attempts emergency landing at McCoy, crashes one quarter mile short of runway, killing seven on board, injuring eight civilians on the ground, destroys four houses

February 8 1974 - A USAF B-52 of the 744th BS, 456th BW, veered off the runway during night take-off from Beale AFB, California, skidded 1,500 feet through a muddy field before overturning, destroyed by four massive explosions and fire. One crew, the first pilot, was thrown free before the fire but seven others perished

October 19 1978 - A USAF B-52D-75-BO, 56-0594, of the 22nd Bomb Wing, crashes at 7:30 a.m. in light fog in a plowed field ~2 1/2 miles SE of March AFB, near the rural community of Sunnymead, California, shortly after take-off. Five crew killed, but one is able to escape the burning wreckage and was reported in stable condition at the base hospital
October 30 1981 - A USAF B-52D-55-BO, 55-078, of the 22nd Bomb Wing, March AFB, California, crashes on the eastern Colorado prairie near La Junta at 6:30 a.m. while on a low-level (400 foot altitude) training mission, killing all eight crew

November 29 1982 - Shortly after completing a training mission, a USAF B-52G-130-BW, 59-4766, suffered hydraulics fire in nose gear, exploded at the end of the runway at Castle AFB, California, but crew of nine escaped before it was fully engulfed

January 27 1983 - Five are killed and eight injured when a USAF B-52G catches fire and explodes at 9:30 a.m. on the ramp at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota. The Stratofortress was undergoing routine maintenance after flying a training mission the previous night

October 16 1984 - An unarmed USAF B-52 of the 92nd Bomb Wing out of Fairchild AFB, Washington, crashed about 9 p.m. into a mesa on the Navajo reservation in northeastern Arizona 13 miles NE of Kayenta, during a low-level training flight. Eight crew eject and recovered in a day; one ejects, missing; gunner KWF.

December 6 1988 - A USAF B-52H-150-BW, 60-0040, crashed on the runway at 1:15 a.m. EST at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan, while doing touch-and-goes after a seven-hour training flight, which broke into three parts. All crew survived, crawling or being helped from the nose section, without sustaining burns


June 24 1994 - 'Czar 52', a USAF B-52H-170-BW Stratofortress, 61-0026, crashes during an airshow practice at Fairchild AFB. After having rehebehindd the maneuvers profile that in itself was dangerous to fly in a B-52, the aircraft came into land. Due to a KC-135 Stratotanker still being on the runway, the aircraft was required to make a 'go around'. After beginning a 360-degree turn left, the aircraft exceeded 90 degrees angle of bank, stalled and crashed into the ground. All four aircrew members were killed in the crash

February 23 2007 - A B-52 Spirit crashed shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Both pilots ejected from the plane before it crashed, the aircraft was destroyed.

July 21 2008 - A B-52 crashed ....................................


The Air Force has 93 B-52 bombers remaining in its fleet.