What happened
On April 27, 1951, a B-36D, registration 49-2658, departed from Carswell AFB as part of a three-aircraft formation for a training mission. The objective involved bombing practice in Texas followed by aerial gunnery training near Oklahoma City. During the exercise, several F-51D Mustangs performed intercept passes against the bomber to provide tracking practice for the crew.
During a high frontal pass, an F-5/D Mustang, piloted by 1st Lt Fred Black, struck the upper left fuselage of the B-36D, approximately nine feet behind the nose. The impact caused the Mustang to disintegrate in mid-air. The collision sent the bomber into a violent series of maneuvers, including a porpoise and a steep climb, before it entered a spiral dive.
As the aircraft descended, the tail section broke away from the fuselage near the rear crew compartment. This structural failure ejected several crew members into the air. While four individuals managed to bail out, they faced significant difficulties due to cockpit pressurization, tangled safety straps, and obstructing equipment. The remaining twelve occupants of the forward compartment were unable to escape before the aircraft impacted the ground near Perkins, Oklahoma.
Findings
- The collision was caused by an F-51D Mustang flying too close to the bomber's wing during a frontal pass.
- The impact of the Mustang led to the immediate structural failure and loss of the bomber's tail section.
- The crash resulted in 12 fatalities on the B-36D and the death of the pilot of the F-51D.