Incident Overview
A heavy bomber departed Kadena Air Base en route to the Korean War theater. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the aircraft's number one engine developed trouble. The aircraft was too heavy to return immediately to Kadena for a safe landing. The crew decided to jettison some of the bombs stored in the bomb bay to lighten the aircraft. Although the bombs were dropped in a safe condition, some of them exploded upon impacting the sea. Fragments from the explosion severely damaged the airplane to the extent that it was necessary to ditch in the sea approximately five miles from the end of the runway.
Casualties and Damage
Eight crew members were killed in the incident, while three others were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair due to the severity of the fragmentation and subsequent ditching.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the number one engine.