Accident Boeing B-52D-10-BW Stratofortress 55-0060,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 48311
 
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Date:Monday 13 January 1964
Time:01:45
Type:Silhouette image of generic B52 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Boeing B-52D-10-BW Stratofortress
Owner/operator:484th BW USAF
Registration: 55-0060
MSN: 464012
Fatalities:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 5
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Savage Mountain, Garrett County (near Barton, Maryland) -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Military
Departure airport:Westover AFB, MA
Destination airport:Turner AFB, Albany, GA
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
The B-52D, radio call-sign 'Buzz One Four' was being ferried from Westover AFB, where it had landed after a 'Chrome Dome' armed patrol to Europe, to its base at Turner AFB.

While cruising at about 30,000 feet the plane's huge vertical fin and rudder assembly was wrenched off by the severe turbulence encountered in a blizzard and the aircraft broke up. The two Mark 53 nuclear weapons on board being ferried were found "relatively intact in the middle of the wreckage", and after Fort Meade's 28th Ordnance Detachment secured them, the weapons were removed two days later to the Cumberland Municipal Airport.

Only two of the five crew survived. Aircraft crashed on January 13 1964 at 01:45 into Savage Mountain, Garrett County (near Barton, Maryland) at approximate co-ordinates 39.565278°N 79.075833°W

Crew:
Pilot: Major Thomas W. McCormick, ejected and survived.
Co-pilot: Captain Parker C. Peedin, ejected and survived.
Bomb aimer : Major Robert E. Townley, did not eject and died in the crash.
Navigator: Major Robert L. Payne, ejected but did not survive the bitter winter conditions on the ground.
Tail gunner: T/Sgt Melvin F. Wooten, bailed out injured and did not survive.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Savage_Mountain_B-52_crash
http://www.salisburypa.com/b52crash.html
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1955.html
http://www.salisburypa.com/buzzonefour.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20171101061754/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/b52_stratofortress.htm
https://www.findagrave.com/page=gr&GRid=51141799

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
07-Nov-2008 10:15 ASN archive Added
03-May-2009 23:33 angels one five Updated
26-Oct-2009 14:21 JINX Updated
02-Jan-2010 00:13 angels one five Updated [Narrative]
08-Nov-2010 05:00 angels one five Updated [Narrative]
13-Dec-2010 00:27 angels one five Updated [Nature, Narrative]
16-Feb-2013 15:41 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Sep-2013 18:33 angels one five Updated [Departure airport]
14-Jan-2014 05:18 dtownley Updated [Narrative]
11-Mar-2020 16:22 DG333 Updated [Operator, Operator]

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