Accident Overview
A B-52 aircraft departed Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas, to conduct a refueling mission. While en route, the flight was cruising through a low-pressure area experiencing turbulence. The airplane suddenly went out of control, entered a dive, and crashed into the ground with a large explosion. All four crew members were killed. The B-52 was new, having been delivered only six weeks earlier.
Crew
The crew included Lieutenant Rodney Anderlitch, Major Jesse Lee Myrick, Lieutenant Philip Camillo de Bonis, and Sergeant Herman Allison Clark.
Probable Cause
Official findings stated that the accident sequence began with severe in-flight turbulence. The turbulence caused the pylon of two engines to fail, resulting in the detachment of those engines. One of the detached engines struck the empennage, partially shearing it off. Subsequently, the aircraft went out of control and crashed.