My view of the Thule B-52 Crash 01-21-1968 - Got this from a close friend.....

This is a little part of my history, and only a few days at that! I do remember a great deal from an event that happened 47 years ago! No, I did not proof read what I wrote because it would take the adventure out of the memory!

My view of the Thule B-52 Crash 01-21-1968
As a civilian working at the world’s largest radar site (BMEWS - [Ballistic Missile Early Warning System] in Thule Greenland); I had the Hot-Seat Equipment Controller) during the day shift on January 21, 1968 and I was aware of the B-52 events as they were unfolding from the start of the refueling process to the planned ditching of the plane. I had been relieved from duty at 4 PM and my scheduled transportation back to the main Air Force Base was 4:30PM. It just so happened that the ditching process was in progress as I walked out of the building that was perched on a 1200 foot cliff. My location would likely allow me to see an explosion if the plane impacted in the general direction it was headed. The B-52 was totally loaded with fuel and was carrying “4 Nuclear weapons; and I expected to see something in the distance after impact occurred!

Impact: The horizon lite with a massive orange/red fireball!
I had been trained on radar, missiles, nuclear weapons, and radioactive materials in the Navy; and then later by RCA and the Atomic Energy Commission as a civilian. So when the giant orange fireball was extinguished with a very bright white flash; I knew that at least one of the 4 nuclear weapons had cooked off (That is when the weapon blows apart when the High Explosive materials in the weapon ignites from heat or impact)! At that moment, I knew radioactive material had been dispersed around the crash site. (“Dirty Bomb” as it would be known today)!

I gave opinion of what we had witnessed to Air Force Officers in my immediate area; and then hoped in the transportation bus back to the main Thule Air Force Base verses choosing to wait 4 hours for the next ride to the Chow & Housing Quarters.

I had dinner and returned to my Quarters; only to find 2 Air Police Officers waiting for me at my door and who were waiting to escort me over to the Base Commander (Colonel). The Base Colonel knew who I was and informed me that I was to be at the 0800 Briefing on the following day (Monday) and the Colonel informed me that he had been assured that there was no “Radioactive Material” at the crash site and that all weapons were unharmed! I told the Colonel what I had witnessed and my opinion of what might be at the crash site!

Briefing: Upon my arrival before 0800, the meeting had already begun and the Officer (name & rank excluded) was from “State Side” and he was assuring everybody that there was no radiation at the crash site and all was okay. As the only civilian at the Debrief, I jumped in and ask how and what equipment did they use to test for radiation because the temperature was around -50 degrees and none of the standard radiation testing devices would work for more than 30-seconds in that cold. Everybody appeared to be stunned by my comment. I told the group that I some radiation testing with me and that I would like to see if anyone had any radioactive material on their clothes. They were so radioactive; I reflexed back from the Top Officer! We all were told that officially, this accident never happened and could not be discussed outside of this group! The Air Force was at a loss on how to check for radiation in these cold temperatures. Two days later I thought of and constructed battery packs that could be warn inside the cloths & coats of the men working on the ice. Two standard Radiation Testing devices were modified by removing the internal batteries and installing insulated wire plugs & wiring that could be run between the new battery packs and the modified Test Instruments via wires running down the sleeves of the men’s coats.

I was removed from any information or activity concerning the Crash after the first few days and I was informed that any information relating to the crash was “Highly Classified” until further notice.

Afterwards: I am aware that Denmark questioned the USA Government concerning radioactive material and officially there was none ever on Denmark’s Territory; and then in 1998 someone whispered that the US Government had admitted to Denmark that some radioactive had been lost in the 1968 B-52 crash. I was also told that I could pick up the “fire arm” that had been taken from me when I cleared customs in Jun-1968; however, I needed firearms dealer’s licenses in order to pick up that kind of weapon. I did not need that kind of weapon anymore and guessed that it had been used in many crimes over the 30 years it was not in my hands.

Recently: The Internet has everything and more about the Jan-21, 1968 B-52 crash and the extremely high number of Danish folks who had cancers due to radiation exposure and the fact that no Americans were every tracked or tested for radiation related problems; even though there were many more Americans working on the clean-up and for longer periods!!!!!!

Reference below:
Just one of many accounts of the crash and after effects of that B-52 crash!
Thule, Greenland
Accident involving nuclear weapons
The crash of a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber with nuclear weapons on board contaminated a large areas of land and the surrounding waters with radioactive plutonium. Inhabitants, rescue- and clean-up workers were exposed to high levels of radiation.
Thule Air Force Base.jpg History
On January 21, 1968, a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber, carrying four hydrogen bombs, was flying a routine patrol mission over Greenland and Baffin Bay. In the 1960s, up to twelve U.S. nuclear bomber planes were on so-called airborne alert 24 hours a day. This operation, code-named “Chrome Dome,” was supposed to demonstrate an effective response capability in the case of a Soviet nuclear attack. On this day, however, a fire broke out in the cabin, six hours after take-off. The crew was forced to evacuate the plane, which crashed on the ice, roughly 13   km south of the U.S. airbase at Thule, Greenland. One crew member died in the crash, six others survived. Luckily, a nuclear explosion did not occur, but the bombs ’ non-nuclear high explosives fully detonated upon impact, blowing the bombs apart and spreading a total of 10   Tera-Becquerel (Tera = trillion) of radioactive plutonium over an area of 7.68   km ² . Uranium, americium and tritium were also released. Some of the pack ice melted and sank to the ocean floor, carrying with it radioactive isotopes released by the blast. It is estimated that a total of 5   Giga-Becquerel (Giga = billion) of radioactive plutonium polluted the waters of nearby Bylot Sound as a result. A cloud carrying radioactive isotopes drifted south, contaminating an area around the settlement of Narssarssuk, about seven km from the crash site. The incident was designated a “Broken Arrow” – a U.S. military term that describes a major accident or loss of a nuclear weapon. Greenland is a territory of Denmark, which has declared itself nuclear-weapons free. Following large demonstrations in Denmark, the Danish government issued a strong protest note.

More next post...

Health and environmental effects
Directly after the accident, fishing and hunting were forbidden in the area. Several radiological and environmental studies conducted by Danish and American scientists in the aftermath of the crash showed increased plutonium levels in the pack ice, in seawater, ocean-sediments and algae as far as 17   km away from the accident site.
Cleanup operations were undertaken under the code-name “Project Crested Ice” in order to remove blackened ice from around the crash site. It is claimed that 90   % of the plutonium was removed and 147 freight cars of radioactive waste were shipped back to the U.S., leaving about one TBq of in the ice around Thule.
Plutonium is a highly toxic heavy metal, which can cause severe damage to the kidney, liver or lung cancer when only a few micrograms are ingested or inhaled. Such ingestion is a relevant health risk for the indigenous Inughuit people living in the region, whose diet consists largely of fish and sea mammals, the meat of which is contaminated with plutonium. Especially the inhabitants of nearby settlements like Narssarssuk are affected. Epidemiological studies on their health status were never undertaken.
However, Danish workers assisting in the clean-up reported a significant number of cancer cases and deaths among their colleagues. A 1995 survey found 410 deaths due to cancer out of a sample of 1,500 workers. A similar follow-up study on U.S. workers was never performed, despite the fact that they were more heavily exposed to radioactive material than their Danish colleagues.
Outlook
Following the accidents at Palomares and Thule, regular patrol flights of bombers armed with nuclear bombs were suspended in 1968. In 1996, the Danish Government agreed to pay a compensation of 50,000 Danish crowns per person to the affected workers. In 2008, the BBC published research concluding that one of the four nuclear bombs had not been recovered. However, this is refuted by Eric Schlosser, who says only part of one of the bombs was never found. More than four decades after the accident, not all the documents concerning the accident and its possible health effects have been released and no epidemiological investigations have been undertaken to ascertain health effects on the local population or the U.S. clean-up crews, affected by the radioactive contamination. These people are also casualties of the nuclear bomb – they are also Hibakusha.
References
§ Eriksson M. “On Weapons Plutonium in the Arctic Environment (Thule, Greenland).” RNL, Roskilde, Denmark, 2002 www.risoe.dk...
§ “Project Crested Ice – USAF B-52 Accident at Thule, Greenland, 21 January 1968.” U.S. Navy, 1968 www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA283578&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
§ Nielsen S et al. “Thule-2003 – Investigation of Radioactive Contamination.” RNL, Roskilde, Denmark, 2006. www.risoe.dk/rispubl/nuk/nukpdf/ris-r-1549.pdf
§ Juel K et al. “Registerundersøgelse afdødelighed og kræftforekomst blandt Thule-arbejdere,” Statens Institut for Folkesundhed 2005. www.si-folkesundhed.dk/upload/thule.pdf
§ Corera G. “Mystery of lost U.S. nuclear bomb,” Website of BBC News, November 10, 2008. news.bbc.co.uk...
§ Schlosser E. “Command and Control. Nuclear Weapons. The Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety.” Penguin Press, New York, 2013.

The friend that sent me this has suffered from various cancers, he had his entire nose removed and replaced with massive plastic surgeries, suffered from colon cancer, then stomach cancer, but is now living cancer free.

M

Hi Matador. I enjoy your input on ATS from time served together in FUKU threads covering the reactor melt downs.

Now I see where your got your experience from. What timing to witness the event personally.

So when the giant orange fireball was extinguished with a very bright white flash; I knew that at least one of the 4 nuclear weapons had cooked off (That is when the weapon blows apart when the High Explosive materials in the weapon ignites from heat or impact)! At that moment, I knew radioactive material had been dispersed around the crash site. (“Dirty Bomb” as it would be known today)!

Surely a historically significant eyewitness report. Thanks for sharing…

a reply to: intrptr

I think the entire thread is meant to be read from the point of view of the friend mentioned in the title. Except at the very end where he mentions how he got this story from his friend.

matador- Thank you for sharing this. It happened before I was born and I had not heard of this broken arrow incident. I did hear about the one involving Nicholas Cage and John Travolta though

You should advise your friend to see a top lawyer. He has got one hell of a case I suspect and it would likely be settled out of court quietly. Being that close to see the explosion and dirty bomb blast he was surely 'nuked'. For all the suffering he's gone through he deserves it.

Thanks for sharing!

A horrendous happening and a good read. Terrible disregard and lack of concern for the American cleanup workers.

Can you tell me what your own reflection is on the event today?

Glad to read that your friend is doing better.

a reply to: matadoor

Wow! I've been reading ATS short stories (fiction) this morning, and got into that "groove" as I was reading this. I eventually had to remind myself "this is real!

Very interesting. Very disturbing. Thanks for this personal account.

a reply to: matadoor

A report from 1968

1968: Radiation alert following B-52 crash
A recovery team is searching for wreckage from an American Air Force B-52 bomber armed with four hydrogen bombs which crashed into the sea near the Arctic air base of Thule in Greenland.
Investigators are searching the area eight miles west of Thule for radioactive debris. The accident happened a week ago when the plane caught fire and the crew bailed out before the plane crashed through the ice.

The United States defence department says parts of the bombs have been found. But it is thought the radioactive detonators are still missing.

A team of 47 men with dog sleigh teams have been brought in to clear the wreckage. The sea surrounding the crash site has since re-frozen.

One of the scientists involved in the operation said all the wreckage was emitting low level radiation but there was no evidence of radiation on the snow.

The risk of contamination is said to be slight - except to those working on the spot who are equipped with protective clothing.

news.bbc.co.uk...


Yep. We all know snow kills radiation. : )

a reply to: matadoor

Question: We are to understand that the writer of the account was within about 13km of a hydrogen bomb explosion (the white flash)?

Is that a wrong assumption? From the way that sequence is written, I assume it was an H-bomb flash and not the fuel or the bomb(s) explosive trigger(s). The line-of-sight distance seems too close without the whole area being affected in severe ways by direct and after affects. I have difficulty believing that the observer reported nothing of the sort as we would expect being only 13km away from such an event.

Perhaps it was not intentionally suggested that the bomb exploded and I simply read too much into that "white flash."

originally posted by: 3n19m470
a reply to: intrptr

I think the entire thread is meant to be read from the point of view of the friend mentioned in the title. Except at the very end where he mentions how he got this story from his friend.

matador- Thank you for sharing this. It happened before I was born and I had not heard of this broken arrow incident. I did hear about the one involving Nicholas Cage and John Travolta though

I think you mean "Face/Off". "Broken Arrow" was with John Travolta and Christian Slater I think

I am getting a inkling that there is a 'connection' ( really covered up incident) between your OP account of the '68 B -52 incident

and the recent 'February 2015' anomaly/event/incident that happened at around 11PM Ukraine local time...
a tremendous bright flash and the following 'shock wave' from a likely nuke...(denied as only a chemical plant explosion)...some 7 miles distant ... which is just about the same 13KM distance of the OP event witnessed in the thread

listen, a 3:31 video here on YT...www.youtube.com...


see the blast here: 1:13... www.youtube.com...

a reply to: Aliensun

He's pretty sure that the high explosives inside at least one of the weapons cooked off. In order for the nuke itself to ignite, there are namy safeguards to stopping that.

But cooking off the high explosives spread radioactive debris everywhere.

And yes, this is a close friend of mine, not my own personal account, I was still in grade school in 1968.



As far as getting a lawyer, he's already done that, he's living on a very nice monthly payment from the Feds.

originally posted by: matadoor
As far as getting a lawyer, he's already done that, he's living on a very nice monthly payment from the Feds.

Sure hope he isn't violating the confidentiality agreement here! From the story it would take about 5 minutes for TPTB to know who your source is.

Great story thou!

originally posted by: matadoor

Briefing: Upon my arrival before 0800, the meeting had already begun and the Officer (name & rank excluded) was from “State Side” and he was assuring everybody that there was no radiation at the crash site and all was okay. As the only civilian at the Debrief, I jumped in and ask how and what equipment did they use to test for radiation because the temperature was around -50 degrees and none of the standard radiation testing devices would work for more than 30-seconds in that cold. Everybody appeared to be stunned by my comment. I told the group that I some radiation testing with me and that I would like to see if anyone had any radioactive material on their clothes. They were so radioactive; I reflexed back from the Top Officer! We all were told that officially, this accident never happened and could not be discussed outside of this group!

It seems to me that you have the very substance for any proper enquiry should it ever come. It should be no surprise that the air force went into the three wise monkeys stratagem, witness the aftermath of 9/11 in New York and all those involved in the clear up there. Thanks for the sharing.

a reply to: aboutface

Over the years, I have talked with him several times about this incident. He was a contractor to the feds, and yes he had to sign confidentiality agreements, but those recently expired.

To me, what I find amusing is, according to his reporting, this was a PLANNED event. From his text - "to the planned ditching of the plane."

I've emailed him asking him to clarify that statement for me.

originally posted by: ladyinwaiting

Yep. We all know snow kills radiation. : )

I actually wouldn't expect a lot of radiation except right at first - the first responders would end up covered in initiator giblets. Americium likes clothing and skin. Tritium would immediately disperse. Neither the plutonium or uranium components of the weapon are very radioactive.

You would, however, have a whole dog's breakfast of lethal chemical poisons going on there, from the explosive residue to the heavy metals. Almost anything in there is pyrophoric if blown to smithereenies as well, so right after the bang it's all going to burn in the air and disperse all over the area as various oxide dusts. The one good thing, I suppose, is that the snow will bind most of that and make it a little easier to do a clean up. The bad thing is that there's generally a wind there IIRC and it'll just go everywhere.

originally posted by: Aliensun
I assume it was an H-bomb flash and not the fuel or the bomb(s) explosive trigger(s).

The explosives detonated (or deflagrated, it was, IIRC, some of one, some of the other) and scattered the innards of the weapons over the site. Older weapons especially carried quite a bit of chemical explosives.

What a remarkable story. For me, it opens up a whole new reading topic, as I knew so little about this incident, until this thread came along. Thanks!

originally posted by: matadoor
To me, what I find amusing is, according to his reporting, this was a PLANNED event. From his text - "to the planned ditching of the plane."
I've emailed him asking him to clarify that statement for me.

I'd expect the landing gear was stuck up or something that wouldn't permit a normal landing. Rather than do a belly landing on site they picked a 'safe spot' considering the bombs on board.