What happened
Shortly after departing from runway 08 at Kirtland Air Force Base, a B-52 heavy bomber experienced a loss of control during its initial climb. Approximately three minutes into the flight, the aircraft struck a mountain slope situated roughly 5.7 miles east of the airbase near Sandia. The impact resulted in a massive explosion that completely destroyed the aircraft.
All 13 crew members on board perished in the accident. At the time of the crash, the aircraft was transporting both a weapon and a capsule containing nuclear material; however, for safety precautions, the capsule had not been inserted into the weapon. The wreckage also contained detonators installed within the bomb, which contributed to the intensity of the post-crash fire.
Findings
Investigation of the crash site revealed that the bomb casing was destroyed, and a portion of the high explosive material was consumed by the gasoline-fed fire. Fragments of unburned high explosives were found dispersed across the debris field. While some components of the weapon were recovered and returned to the Atomic Energy Commission, investigators also located four spare detonators in their original carrying case that remained undamaged. There were no reported issues regarding contamination or difficulties during the recovery process.