What happened
During a landing sequence at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, a B-52 operated by the 28th Bomb Wing experienced a landing accident that resulted in the destruction of the aircraft. Following the impact, the plane caught fire and slid into a brick structure used for fuel storage. This building housed six separate tanks, each with a capacity of 25,000 gallons, totaling 150,000 gallons of jet fuel.
The collision triggered an intense blaze. During the emergency response, rescue personnel worked to extract crew members trapped within the wreckage. One navigator remained pinned inside the detached nose section for nearly an hour before being successfully rescued by firefighters. Additionally, the tail gunner became trapped when the aircraft's gun turret was dislodged; emergency responders used a fire truck to break the turret away to facilitate his release.
Findings
- The accident involved a B-52 aircraft during the landing phase.
- The wreckage collided with a storage building containing 150,000 gallons of jet fuel.
- The primary cause of the secondary fire was the impact with the fuel storage facility.