1958 Westover Air Force Base KC-135 crash

Westover Air Force Base KC-135 crash June 27, 1958 Flaps deployed at the incorrect angle Accident KC-135 at Westover AFB 1969.jpg Different KC-135 at Westover Air Force Base in 1969 Chicopee, Massachusetts, US 42 09 51 N 72 33 34 W inline,title 15 9 6 15 0 Westover Field Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker United States Air Force 56-3599 On June 27, 1958, a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker attempting to break a world speed record crashed shortly after takeoff from Westover Air Force Base, killing all 15 aboard the plane.Jet Tanker Crashes; 15 Killed The Boston Globe June 27, 1958 Operation On June 27, 1958, four KC-135s assigned to the 4050th Air Refueling Wing, Eighth Air Force at Westover Air Force Base would seek to break two New York City to London speed records. One pair would attempt to break the record for the fastest non-stop round trip from New York to London. These planes would cross over New York's Idlewild Airport, circle London, then land at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn around noon.Jet Tanker on Speed Test Crashes; 15 Reported Dead The New York Times June 27, 1958 The other pair would attempt to break the record for New York to London, stop and refuel at RAF Brize Norton, then immediately attempt to break the London to New York record.Four Westover Jet Tankers Aim Of N.Y.-London Records The Boston Globe June 25, 1958 Accident The first plane, Alpha, took off from Westover at 11:52p.m. on June 26. The second, Bravo, took off at 12:07a.m.. At 12:30a.m., Lt. Col. George Broutsas, commander of the third plane, Cocoa, received take-off clearance. He acknowledged the tower, moved his throttles up, released his brakes, and began to roll. The aircraft slowly picked up speed and left the ground at the proper spot. It struggled to gain altitude and struck a tree top 4100 ft m from the end of the runway, which caused the KC-135's right wing to dip and dig into the ground.Air Force Film Details Explosions in Jet Crash The Boston Globe July 2, 1958 Its uplifted left wing struck high-voltage power lines and the plane skidded across a cornfield and the Massachusetts Turnpike before exploding. The aircraft, which was heavy with fuel for the non-stop trip to London, sprayed jet fuel as it hit the ground, which set fire to the roadbed, a barn, and the surrounding woods. The flight of the fourth KC-135 was canceled after the accident. The two already in the air, Alpha and Bravo, continued to London and broke the world record. Alpha reached London in 5:27:42.8 and Bravo arrived in 5:29:37.4, shattering the previous record of 7 hours, 29 minutes.Armed Forces: 45 Seconds to Death https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,863543,00.html 22 June 2023 Time July 7, 1958 Rather than immediately returning to New York, they landed outside London and stayed there until June 29.Feinberg Mark Jet Tanker Crash Cause Is Mystery The Boston Globe June 28, 1958 The crash was the first involving the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, which had flown over 7.8 e6mi e6km off without accident. Victims On board Cocoa was Brig. Gen. Donald W. Saunders, commander of the 57th Air Division and leader of the operation, a six-member crew, two civilian observers from the National Aeronautic Association (William J. Cochran and William R. Enyart), and six members of the press. The journalists killed in the crash were: Robert Sibley, aviation editor of the Boston Herald Traveler Brig. Gen. (ret.) A. Robert Ginsburgh, military reporter for U.S. News & World Report Glenn A. Williams, associate editor of U.S. News & World Report Norman Montellier, foreign affairs reporter for United Press International Daniel J. Coughlin Jr., Boston reporter for the Associated Press James L. McConaughy Jr., Washington bureau chief for Time and Life and son of former Connecticut governor James L. McConaughy Investigation The crash was investigated by the United States Air Force with the assistance of the Civil Aeronautics Administration and the Civil Aeronautics Board. The two civilian agencies sought any information that would affect the KC-135's civilian counterpart, the Boeing 707, which was soon to be put in operation. On September 30, 1958, the Air Force release its report, which determined that there was no structural failure of the KC-135 and there were no issues with its engine.Crash Report is Issued The New York Times October 1, 1958 The probable cause of the accident was found to be complications caused by flaps that were deployed at an incorrect angle.Crash of a Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker at Westover AFB: 15 Killed https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-boeing-kc-135a-bn-stratotanker-westover-afb-15-killed Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives 22 June 2023 Lawsuits In 1960, the families of James McConaughy and Glenn A. Williams sued the United States government for a total of $1,040,000 1040000 1960, alleging that the plane was overloaded and the flaps were used excessively during takeoff.$1 Million Suit Filed in Crash At Westover The Boston Globe June 25, 1960 In 1963, Maureen A. Montellier, the widow of Norman J. Montellier, received a $168,000 judgment 168000 1963.DeForge Jeanette From the Archives: Westover KC-135 crash remembered 57 years ago https://www.masslive.com/news/2015/04/from_the_archives_westover_kc-.html 22 June 2023 MassLive April 15, 2015 See also List of disasters in Massachusetts by death toll References 30em Category:June 1958 in the United States Category:1958 in Massachusetts Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Massachusetts Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1958 Category:Accidents and incidents involving United States Air Force aircraft Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker