1961 Yuba City B-52 crash

Yuba City B-52 Crash

Accident summary
Date	14 March 1961
Type	Uncontrolled decompression; fuel exhaustion
Site	Sutter County, 15 miles (24 km) West of Yuba City, California 39°7′N 121°53′W
Crew	8
Fatalities	0
Survivors	8 (all)
Aircraft type	B-52F Stratofortress
Operator	Strategic Air Command, United States Airforce
Flight origin	Mather Air Force Base

The 1961 Yuba City B-52 crash refers to an accident on March 14, 1961, at Yuba City, California. A B-52F-70-BW Stratofortress bomber, AF Serial No. 57-0166, c/n 464155, carrying two nuclear weapons, that had departed from Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento, experienced an uncontrolled decompression that required it to descend to 10,000 feet in order to lower the cabin altitude. Increased fuel consumption caused by having to fly at lower altitude, combined with the inability to rendezvous with a tanker in time caused the aircraft to run out of fuel. The aircrew ejected safely, however the unmanned aircraft crashed 15 miles (24 km) West of Yuba City, tearing the nuclear weapons from the aircraft on impact.

Accident scene

California

The weapons did not detonate as their safety devices worked properly. A fireman was killed and several others injured in a road accident while en route to the accident scene.

See also

• List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft