McConnell - McConnell

On January 16, 1965 at 10:30 AM, McConnell - McConnell experienced a crash involving Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, operated by United States Air Force - USAF, with the event recorded near Wichita Kansas.

The flight was categorized as refuelling and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a city crash site.

7 people were known to be on board, 30 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 428.6%.

Crew on board: 7, crew fatalities: 7, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 23.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. Shortly after takeoff from McConnell AFB, while climbing to a height of 500-700 feet, the captain sent a first distress call while the aircraft experienced a large amount of yaw. The crew elected to return for a safe landing and began to dump large quantities of fuel from the aircraft's refueling tanks. Shortly after this, the aircraft made a hard bank to the left, and began to enter a roll. Out of control, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed at the intersection of Piatt and 20th Street, just three minutes after takeoff, some 7 miles north-northwest of the airbase. The aerial refueling aircraft was loaded with 31,000 US gallons of jet fuel and the crash resulted in a large explosion and subsequent fire, which engulfed dozens of homes. The accident killed all seven crew members on board the aircraft and 23 people on the ground. In addition, 27 other people on the ground sustained injuries, three of which were serious. It was reported that the crew entry door was jettisoned and a B-52 Stratofortress bomber, which took off prior to the KC-135, may have blown a detached drag chute from an F-105 Thunderchief against the departing aircraft.

Aircraft reference details include registration 57-1442, MSN 17513, year of manufacture 1958.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 37.6922°, -97.3375°.