Atomic bomb nearly exploded over North Carolina in 1961

[Prunepicker]

This is a very interesting article.

From Fox News
The U.S. Air Force nearly detonated an atomic bomb over North
Carolina in 1961 that would have been 260 times more powerful
than the device that destroyed Hiroshima, according to a
declassified report published Friday in The Guardian.

The 1969 document, obtained by investigative journalist Eric
Schlosser under the Freedom of Information Act, details the Jan.
23, 1961, B-52 crash near Goldsboro, North Carolina, that saw
two Mark 39 hydrogen bombs break up in mid-air.

The report said that one of the two bombs behaved exactly as
nuclear weapon is designed to function in wartime and that only
a single low-voltage switch prevented detonation. Fallout could
have been deposited over Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia
and New York City, according to the report.

[Mel]

And this would have been a bad thing?

[RadicalModerate]

When are they going to learn to quit allowing the low-bidders to build nuclear weapons?
dang. Both hydrogen bombs "Broke up in midair" . . . looks like pretty shoddy workmanship for the price to me!
(on the other hand, they did work just like they were supposed to in a real war situation so kudos to the Canadians even in the pre-NAFTA era of outsourcing . . .)

[kevinpate]

And this would have been a bad thing?

Hey now, Most of my Carolina kin were still alive back then. I mighta even been on a nappy bed during a visit depending on when it was.
Play nice.

[Just the facts]

There is a nuclear bomb in the water just off Tybee Island, GA. Tybee is a barrier island 16 miles east of Savannah, GA and is a popular tourist destination with about 3,000 full-time residents.

1958 Tybee Island mid-air collision - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Tybee Island B-47 crash was an incident on February 5, 1958, in which the United States Air Force lost a 7,600-pound (3,400 kg) Mark 15 nuclear bomb in the waters off Tybee Island near Savannah, Georgia, United States. During a practice exercise, the B-47 bomber carrying the bomb collided in midair with an F-86 fighter plane. To protect the aircrew from a possible detonation in the event of a crash, the bomb was jettisoned. Following several unsuccessful searches, the bomb was presumed lost somewhere in Wassaw Sound off the shores of Tybee Island.

Anyhow, back to good thing or a bad thing in NC.

Nagasaki: 1945


Nagasaki: Today

[RadicalModerate]

Wouldn't you think that for a "practice exercise" they would have used a pretend bomb?
And, with modern salvage technology why haven't they fished this out of the water?

As far as Nagasaki goes, it looks real nice now--especially the way it grew back in color.
But one of these days, they will still have to deal with one of these coming ashore to wreak havoc.

(the radioactive giant lizard. not the airplane.)

[Mel]

Godzilla rocks. They are doing a re-boot in 2014 harking back to the golden age of Godzilla. The fallout over D.C. is mainly what my first post was about. I already think it's populated by mutants and zombies.

[RadicalModerate]

Speaking of mutants and zombies . . .
The people on Tybee Island don't seem to be fairing nearly as well as the Nagasakians.
These aren't piercings and tattoos.

[Just the facts]

Wouldn't you think that for a "practice exercise" they would have used a pretend bomb?
And, with modern salvage technology why haven't they fished this out of the water?

My understanding is that at the time nuclear war was a real possibility and if a bomber was in the air it had to be carrying real bombs in case nuclear war broke out. You don't tug on Superman's cape, spit into the wind, pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger, or bring a dummy bomb to a nuclear war.

As for not being able to find it, the Navy and private salvage companies have been looking for years. While they have found anomalies in the ocean floor they can't find it. They think now it is buried under 10 feet of silt as it is at the mouth of the Savannah River. I'm pretty sure the US Government gave up as I seem to recall them saying if it hasn't blown up by now it is probably just best to leave it. Could you imagine the evacuation order they would have to give if they actually did find it and tried to retrieve it - not to mention the lawsuits from all the damage if it went off.

[RadicalModerate]

Why don't they put James Cameron on the case?
He could find it, and then they could slip it away, strapped to a submarine, and not even Greenpeace would be any the wiser.
Come to think of it, this probably has actually already been done.
Probably by James Bond on loan to The Canadians. (With a little help from Howard Hughes and H. Ross Perot.)
Too bad that enough radiation leaked out during the salvage operation to mess with the native inhabitants of Tybee Island but the guy? in the picture looks pretty happy . . .

And now, at no extra charge, a brief musical interlude for all the Atomic Age Reptilian Monster fans out there . . .

[Just the facts]

Thanks a lot RM - now I have an urge to break out my complete series of Ultraman and watch every episode.

[RadicalModerate]

Ultraman? Oh YEAH! Ultraman!!!
(i thought for a moment, there, that Ultraman was some new-fangled "Millennial" superhero)

Not to sidetrack the thread or anything, but don't you find it strange that the creators of Godzilla would choose a name for the monster with so many L's that it would be difficult for the average stereotypical denizen of The Land o' The Rising Sun to pronounce it correctly?

(and if you say, "why . . . don't they pronounce 'it' the same way as we do?" i'll have to sic Mothra on yo' behind)
"anticipating objections": the hallmark of a salesman. =)

[kevinpate]

...

Bill didn't fare well in his divorce from Claire, receiving only some three seasons past jewelry in the settlement.

[Prunepicker]

Dang! I thought I knew all of the super/anti heroes.

I was a big fan of the Justice League of America.

[ck76]

And this would have been a bad thing?

whats your problem with NC

[RadicalModerate]

I don't think it's so much NC as NC-17. But I've been wrong before.
(i thought he made it clear, previously, that he was talking about DC.)
(As compared to AC . . . on account of he's a big Tesla/Westinghouse--as compared to Edison--fan.)

[RadicalModerate]

Bill didn't fare well in his divorce from Claire, receiving only some three seasons past jewelry in the settlement.

"Claire . . . (gasp, wheeze, rattle) . . .

"I'm your Ex-Husband. (gasp, wheeze, rattle). Bill."

("Can you let me slide on the alimony for a couple of months so I can go diving for a lost atom bomb?"
"No. I won't take off the helmet. I'm hideous. Whadda ya' mean I'm acting like The Phantom of the Opera? I hate opera.")
"But I do like old musicals . . ."

[Prunepicker]

It's late. I'm gong to bed.

You people are nutz. Very nutz.

[RadicalModerate]

Re: Thread Heading. (read it again) (c/o OP,PP)
[Fact]: (no "Atomic bomb nearly exploded over North Carolina in 1961", it was dumped in the ocean)

Sleep well.
Sweet dreams . . . =)

I just heard the "gong" calling me to Slumberland so . . .

[Stan Silliman]

I regret that I scared a young soldier into going AWOL when stationed at Ft. Bragg in 1966.
We were in the 82nd at the time and it didn't take much for the Pennsylvania private to go
over the hill. This time an article in the paper about a lady named Jeane Dixon predicting a
nuclear device would explode at Ft. Bragg before the end of the year was the trigger.

It was Dec 26th with Joe's eyes getting bigger as he read the paper, put it down, then started
telling me that on his last jump he spotting two freaky looking bombs being rolled out at Pope AFB
with each one surrounded by ten guys.

He then turned to me and asked "Who in the hell is Jeane Dixon?"
I answered "Ah, not to worry. Just some phony psychic." But then I added "However, she did score
on her Kennedy assassination prediction."

Did I say big eyes? I meant bigger eyes... and a nervous twitch... and a no show at roll call the next
morning.

They knew right where to find him at his Mom's in Harrisburg. 60 days in the brig. I felt bad every time
we marched by the place.

[Prunepicker]

Jeanne Dixon. How many times was she wrong? I know it was most
of the time. I just wonder what the "guess" ratio was. 300:1?

Thanks, Stan.

[RadicalModerate]

Jeanne Dixon. How many times was she wrong? I know it was most
of the time. I just wonder what the "guess" ratio was. 300:1?

Thanks, Stan.

Yeah . . . All of that may be true . . .
But she still comes in a close second to Edgar Cayce.
(i refuse to discuss Ouija Boards on account of they are controlled by David Blaine and Cris Angel)
not to mention Milton Bradley . . .

[Mel]

My last duty station before I got out was Ellsworth A.F.B., it made me a little nervous being around that many nukes.

[Chadanth]

My last duty station before I got out was Ellsworth A.F.B., it made me a little nervous being around that many nukes.

Well, the comfort would be in knowing that if it hit the fan, you'd never know the difference. I had friends who worked ordinance disposal in the army, the big bombs they wouldn't even bother wearing suits for, but the little stuff, they'd sweat.