Ellsworth - Ellsworth

On April 3, 1970 at 04:30 PM, Ellsworth - Ellsworth experienced a crash involving Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, operated by United States Air Force - USAF, with the event recorded near Ellsworth AFB South Dakota.

The flight was categorized as training and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

9 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 9 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 9, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The B52 of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, crashed and was destroyed after a landing accident. It caught fire and skidded into a brick storage building containing six 25,000 gallon tanks (150,000 total) of jet fuel. The firemen did a fantastic job in saving the crew member (the navigator) who was trapped inside the nose section that had broken off for almost an hour before being freed. The fire truck rammed the gun turret, breaking it off and freeing the tail gunner. Crew: Cpt Wesley G. Swann, pilot, Cpt Gary C. Christensen, copilot, Maj Ralph P. Smiley, radar navigator, Cpt Curtis L. Christy, navigator, 1Lt James L. Welch, electronic warfare officer, S/Sgt Charles E. Adkins, gunner, Maj Harry D. Meehan, instructor navigator, Lt Col Paul R. Houser, 28th Bomb Wing Chief of Operations, A1C Randall Hart, avionics maintenance. Source: ASN

Aircraft reference details include registration 55-0089, MSN 17205, year of manufacture 1955.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 44.1472°, -103.0868°.