January 17, 1966
U.S. Plane Loses H-Bomb
Over Spain
It might seem hard to believe, but it happened in the skies over
Almeria, Spain. An American B-52 bomber, carrying nuclear weapons,
collided with a K-C 135 fuel re-supply plane in mid-air. Eight of
the 14 crew members were killed, and an H-bomb was dislodged from the
bomber. It fell into the Atlantic Ocean and is still missing.
Red-faced officials at the Pentagon dispatched planes from the Strategic
Air Command and 1,000 soldiers to look for the bomb. So far, no
luck.
March 17, 1966
Lost H-Bomb Found Off
Coast of Spain
The sighs of relief at the
State Department were heard across the Atlantic in Spain today after a
midget submarine found the H-bomb that has been missing for two months.
The weapon, which fell off a B-52 bomber, is said to be intact.
Its disappearance embarrassed the United States and panicked Spaniards
about a possible radiation leak. American officials plunged into
the frigid Atlantic surf recently to demonstrate that the water is still
safe.
