Accident
Shortly after takeoff from Loring Air Force Base (AFB), while in the initial climb, the crew of an aircraft encountered serious technical problems. Two members of the crew ejected and abandoned the aircraft, which subsequently crashed in a huge explosion approximately 2 to 3 miles north of the airbase. All seven crew members were killed. The parachutes of those who ejected opened too late.
Crew
The crew consisted of:
- Major Nils O. A. Oxehufwud, pilot
- Captain William N. Payne, copilot
- Captain Theodore A. Burbank, navigator
- Major Robert M. Murray, electronic warfare officer
- Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. Smith, radio navigator
- Master Sergeant Earl J. Barnes, air gunner
- Colonel Homer C. Bell Jr., observer
Investigation
The official investigation into the accident determined that the exact cause could not be established with certainty. However, investigators did not rule out the assumption that the loss of control was the consequence of a total failure of all electrical power or an issue with the water injection system.