What happened
During a scheduled aerial refueling operation departing from Columbus AFB, Mississippi, two United States Air Force aircraft collided at an altitude of 32,000 feet. The incident involved a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, registration 57-0036, and a KC-135 tanker. Following the impact, both aircraft entered a rapid descent toward the earth, eventually crashing in the vicinity of Leitchfield.
The collision resulted in significant loss of life. The crew of the KC-135, consisting of four members, perished in the accident. On the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the impact was also fatal for four of the eight crew members on board. The remaining four personnel from the B-52 successfully exited the aircraft via parachute and were later located alive. Both airframes were completely destroyed upon hitting the ground.
Findings
While the exact sequence leading to the contact remains uncertain, the mid-air collision occurred while the aircraft were engaged in a routine refueling mission.