1965 B-52 collision

In 1965 two United States Airforce B-52 "Stratofortresses" collided over a massive tropical storm.

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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

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Script by JCG

#history #thehistoryguy #vietnamwar

[robertjensen]

An F-15 pilot was assigned to escort an aged B-52 Bomber
Being a bit bored, he started executing loops and rolls, never worried about being able to catch up to his lumbering charge. He got on the radio to boast to the BUFF pilot.

"Ha! Anything you can do, I can do better!"

The bomber pilot replies, "Oh, yeah? Let's see you do this!" and keeps flying straight and level.

The fighter jock asks, "Um... What did you do?"

The B-52 pilot says, "I just shut down two engines."

[alanreynolds]

It is no small surprise to me that the Buff guys in Vietnam had seat kits full of winter gear. During the first Gulf War, we wore our green flight suits. Consequently, my Escape and Evasion' plan if I bailed out was to act like a saguro cactus with my arms in the air..,
They issued us handguns without holsters and a small bag of bullets.... I felt like Barney Fife...
But they REQUIRED us to wear our water wings... over a desert...

[tomcox]

Never flew on the 52, but spent many hours walking around them. I always held the 52’s and their crews in awe. Thanks air crews for your selfless service and sacrifice.

[robertblake]

Thank you for the documentation of this sad event. I served as a Flight Surgeon with the B 52s 1966-1968 off Guam and flew missions with the crews as part of the Arc Light series of action . While I was there we lost two of the B52s in a mid air approaching the initial point for a bomb run. General Crumm was flying as the airborne commander and riding in the non ejection jump seat. It was his last mission before returning stateside. He and several others did not survive. This needs documentation as well to honor the six that did not survive. You did a superior job with this documentation. Thanks. Robert Blake MD

[-.Steven]

Thanks History Guy!
As a sailor in my early 20's back in the 80's I was stationed at NAVCAMSWESPACGUAM, and got to go to Andersen Airforce base, and saw (and have pictures) of a B-52 that was mounted up as a memorial to those who flew out of Guam to missions over Vietnam. It was only then I realized how far those planes flew on their bomb runs. It was thousands of miles round trip, 2 thousand or so, just off the top of my noggin. An amazing feat.

[vlmellody]

My late father flew a KC 135 during the Vietnam War. He loved that plane.

Once while I was a student at the University of Arizona in Tucson AZ, my dad came to visit me and he took me to the Boneyard. Right by the road was his plane being mothballed. He never spoke about his time in the United States Air Force, or any of his missions, having taken his oaths of secrecy very seriously. Once, though, while we were looking at an atlas image of the world, he pointed out all the tiny specks in the ocean that he had been to, and a few of the screw-ups that had gotten people permanently assigned there.

[bcgrittner]

During the late 1950’s a B-52 suffered an elevator trim malfunction and broke apart in the air. There was one survivor. There was one survivor. The plane crashed near a farmhouse. There was significant property damage and injuries of the residents of that farm. This occurred in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. There is a memorial plaque at the sight where the plane came down. It is close to the water tower near highway 52. Having visited that memorial I have to say these guys put it on the line for all of us. RIP, crew.

[johnhammond]

Thank you for showing the correct aircraft instead of lazy, stock footage of anything with wings like so many others do. Example: The F-105s when you were mentioning Rolling Thunder.

[gmhelwig]

Growing up in a US Air Force family, I remember the saying "A midair collision can ruin your whole day."

[Alan-in-Bama]

This is one example of countless others, in which American servicemen have lost their lives in some far away land or ocean… while serving their country.
Many times there was no audience to witness their demise and even when given the recognition they deserved back home, it’s usually never visible in the mainstream news.
But it should be !!!
When any person loses their life while serving our country in the military … they should be recognized and mourned in a headline report in every news show on tv !
Along with all the great deeds that so many risk their lives to achieve.

Many thanks to the History Guy for the video and many thanks to all our combat veterans… you are very much appreciated !

[laserbeam]

These men deserve our deepest respect. May all R.I.P and thank you for your service.

[johnmorykwas]

The real stories of B-52s are written in the series of books
"We Were Crewdogs", of which I am coauthor.

[JeffreyKB]

126, 000 sorties flown during the Vietnam War!! Holy crap!! Love your videos THG.

[TomSwift-wygx]

Perfect presentation as usual with no errors in illustration or facts. The History Guy gives the most important and most interesting bite-size history lessons of all. Thx, THG! And thanks for the memorial at the end, too.

[johnfun]

I lived close to MatherAFB in the early 80s and was at home when a B52 crashed a mile and two tenths from my trailer, two big explosions. I jumped I’m my Chevy Luv and was the fourth vehicle to get to the scene. Not much left.

[perihelion]

As a Vietnam combat veteran, I can say that, in war, you still have all of the numerous ways of dying that you do in civilian life, with the addition of many new, horrible ways. It's not a video game.

I noted that in the listing of those that perished, there were two enlisted personnel.

Those guys were almost certainly the tail gunners, who had no real chance of surviving the collision.

My opinion: If 'Linebacker II' had been done in '67-'68, the war would have ended in 1968. Maybe...

[StevenDietrich-kw]

The BUFF turned 72 earlier this year, and still going strong.

[StevenDietrich-kw]

Good morning THG, and fellow history fans.

[rbeard]

Former B-52 guy here. Later, I became a corporate pilot flying the Gulfstream IV around the world. It has super-reliable Rolls Royce engines, and I often wondered if anyone was considering engines used by such large corporate jets to replace those of the aging Stratofortress. The AF is now going to refit the remaining B-52 fleet with a RR engine, a variation used successfully on other business jets for many years.
As to who was responsible? Ultimately, the Aircraft Commander (pilot) of that bomber that made the turn.

[frankgulla]

Thank you, THG, for another terrific tale of air combat and the struggles of the men who served in those planes. Than you for remembering those men.