Incident
An aircraft departed Plattsburgh, New York, on a "Chrome Dome" airborne alert mission over the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) at Thule Air Base, Greenland. During the flight, an in-flight fire caused by a faulty heater knocked out electrical power. The crew ejected over Thule Air Base, except for one crew member who was killed while bailing out through a hatch. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed onto the sea ice.
Thermonuclear Bomb Detonation
Upon impact, the high explosives of four thermonuclear bombs detonated, causing widespread radioactive contamination. No nuclear detonation occurred. The incident led to the launch of Operation Crested Ice to clean up the radioactive ice and snow.
Crew
The crew consisted of: Captain John Haug (pilot), Captain Leonard Svitenko (copilot), Major Alfred Joe D'Amario (pilot, deceased), Captain Richard "Dick" Marx (Electronic Warfare Officer), Major Frank Hopkins (radio navigator), Captain Curtis Criss (navigator), and Staff Sergeant Cal Snapp (air gunner).
Probable Cause
The official findings state the probable cause was an in-flight electrical short-circuit.