Incident Overview
A training mission originating from Westover Air Force Base encountered a critical technical issue when the aircraft's radome separated in mid-flight. The captain decided to divert to the nearest suitable airport, but adverse weather conditions prompted air traffic control to vector the crew toward Goose Bay, approximately 860 miles northeast of the aircraft's position. Determining that reaching Goose Bay was not feasible, the crew opted to bail out and abandoned the aircraft.
Crash Details
After the crew evacuated, the aircraft continued its descent and crashed into a Spruce swamp near Fremont. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate. All eight crew members were later located and found to be uninjured.
Crew Roster
The crew consisted of Captain George E. Kusch, Staff Sergeant Arnold Newman, Captain Joseph L. Bivins, Captain Thaddeus I. Cheate, Captain Donald Bell, Captain Wayne G. Vogt, First Lieutenant Joseph L. Hunt, and Technical Sergeant Merril R. Hethorn.