ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 48302
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| Date: | Thursday 4 September 1969 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: |  Boeing B-52G-105-BW Stratofortress |
| Owner/operator: | 42nd BWg USAF |
| Registration: | 58-0215 |
| MSN: | 464283 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 2 mi N of Loring AFB, Aroostook County, ME -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Loring AFB, Limestone, ME |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Crashed on take off from Loring AFB, Limstone, Maine, killing all 7 crew. Possible cause was a total failure of all electrical power or the water injection system failed to activate and the Aircraft did not have enough thrust to make it airborne. Per eye witness report.
Former C/C gave testimony in deposition at Eglin AFB, FL
New C/C thought draining fuel pump sumps a wast of time.
"On 4 September 1969, during an ORI**, I witnessed the crash of B-52G 58-0215 at Loring AFB as a Sergeant in the Fire Dept working at the Crash Station.
As MITOs** progressed, my partner and I stood by in our P-6 pickup about 50 yards in front of the alert bombers. 58-0215 was having difficulties with one or more inboard engines on the port wing, so we were radioed to continue to stand by on that aircraft until it taxied to the south end of the runway. We were then to hustle down to the north end and standby there as they took off. After several failed attempts to start and run up the engine, they finally got it going, or so it appeared.
During this time I could see the Aircraft Commander and, I assume, the Wing Commander talking and gesturing to each other. Finally I saw the Wing Commander wave them on...to proceed the south end of the runway, and go.
At the north end we observed the aircraft approach on it's take off run. As the plane neared us, it lifted off much farther down the runway than normal. As it passed us, the plane struggled to gain altitude. I believe it never gained more than a few hundred feet of altitude. I did not hear any unusual engine noises, just the usual roar. Finally we observed it slowly disappear beyond the tree line, and after a few silent seconds we heard the inevitable. It was the beginning of a long night.
I was never privy to any official information concerning the accident, but it appeared several ejections were attempted. I do not know the source of the engine(s) problem, or why they were ordered to go, except that it was an ORI**
**MITO = Minimal Interval Take Offs,
**ORI = Organizational Readiness Inspection
Crew:
Pilot/Commander:Maj Nils O A Oxehufwud USAF killed.
Co-pilot:Capt William N Payne USAF killed.
Nav: Capt Theodore A Burbank USAF killed.
EWO: Maj Robert M Murray USAF killed.
Rad/Nav: Lt Col Robert C Smith USAF killed.
AG: M/Sgt Earl J Barnes USAF killed.
Obs: Col Homer C Bell Jr USAF killed.
"The Nav and R/N both ejected but their chutes did not fully deploy. The crash site was about 2 or 3 miles north of the runway. At the time (1980) you could still see the tree tops sheared off, followed by a large clearing with quite a bit of debris, although there were several mounds where the bulldozers had plowed some large pieces under."
Sources:
http://web.archive.org/web/20171101061754/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/b52_stratofortress.htm
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1958.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Loring_AFB/message/7072
http://b52stratofortressassociation.yuku.com/sreply/1154/b52-crash-sept-1969#.USG_B51hiSo
www.baaa-acro.com/Pays/Etats-Unis/Maine.htm
www.mewreckchasers.com/list-8.doc
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Nov-2008 10:15 | ASN archive | Added |
| 11-Nov-2009 04:11 | JINX | Updated |
| 17-Feb-2013 22:50 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Nov-2014 07:53 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 22-Dec-2015 20:29 | Saddlesore | Updated [Narrative] |
| 10-Feb-2021 20:06 | Pong | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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