Narrative:
The Boeing KC-135 departed Bergstrom AFB on a mission to refuel B-52 bombers. In the area of Killeen, TX, the airplane entered a thunderstorm. Two engines separated and one of the engines struck the tail. The airplane lost control and crashed on a cedar-cloaked hillside.
The aircraft had been delivered just 6 weeks prior to the accident.
Engine separation
Loss of control
| Status: | |
| Date: | Tuesday 31 March 1959 |
| Time: | 11:45 |
| Type: |  Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker |
| Operator: | United States Air Force - USAF |
| Registration: | 58-0002 |
| MSN: | 17747/217 |
| First flight: | 1959-01-26 (2 months) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 50 |
| Engines: | 4 Pratt & Whitney J57-P |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 14,5 km (9.1 mls) E of Killeen, TX ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Austin-Bergstrom AFB, TX (KAUS), United States of America |
| Austin-Bergstrom AFB, TX (KAUS), United States of America |
The Boeing KC-135 departed Bergstrom AFB on a mission to refuel B-52 bombers. In the area of Killeen, TX, the airplane entered a thunderstorm. Two engines separated and one of the engines struck the tail. The airplane lost control and crashed on a cedar-cloaked hillside.
The aircraft had been delivered just 6 weeks prior to the accident.
Classification:
ThunderstormEngine separation
Loss of control
Sources:
» Four men die in military plane crash (The Odessa American, 1959-04-01)Photos
Map
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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