# B-52 crashes near Guam



## seesul (Jul 21, 2008)

A U.S. Air Force B-52 with six crew members on board crashed off the island of Guam on Monday, an Air Force spokesman said.
The B-52H Stratofortress was in Guam as part of a four-month rotation.

Search crews have found no survivors, but they are still looking, said Lt. Elizabeth Buendia, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Coast Guard in Guam. They located an oil slick but have not seen any wreckage, she said.

Rescuers with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy were searching a point in the Pacific Ocean about 30 miles northwest of Guam, a U.S. territory, where the plane is believed to have crashed, said Capt. Joel Stark, spokesman for Andersen Air Force Base.

He had no information on whether anyone survived.

The B-52H Stratofortress was based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, and was in Guam as part of a four-month rotation, Stark said.

It went down about 9:45 a.m. local time (7:45 p.m. ET Sunday).

A B-52 from Andersen Air Force Base was scheduled to fly over crowds celebrating Liberation Day, which commemorates the U.S. capture of Guam from Japan in 1944, Stark said.

But it was unclear whether the plane that crashed was the one that had been scheduled to perform the flyover.

In February, a B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Two crew members ejected and were in good condition afterward.

B-52 bomber crashes near Guam - CNN.com


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## Thorlifter (Jul 21, 2008)

Just read this......sad. I hope the flight crew has some luck on their side.


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## ccheese (Jul 21, 2008)

On the 0600 news, this morning, they said they had recovered four bodies.
Not a good sign...... 

Charles


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## ToughOmbre (Jul 21, 2008)

Danger is always with these brave crews. 

My heart goes out to the families.

TO


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## seesul (Jul 21, 2008)

Thanks Charles...how many crewmen are normaly onboard of B-52?
R.I.P. flyboys...my condolences go to the families...


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## ccheese (Jul 21, 2008)

seesul said:


> Thanks Charles...how many crewmen are normaly onboard of B-52?
> R.I.P. flyboys...my condolences go to the families...



I think a normal crew for the B-52 is six .....

Charles


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## wilbur1 (Jul 21, 2008)

Hope they find them all


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 21, 2008)

Damn!!!!


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## Matt308 (Jul 21, 2008)

I wonder if this was another accident caused by hot dogging at too high of a bank angle. I will be interested to hear the accident report.


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## ccheese (Jul 21, 2008)

Fox news has said that two "crewman" were recovered. It didn't say
"bodies". Maybe a couple made it ??

Charles


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## Matt308 (Jul 21, 2008)

Jeez I hope so. Would have preferred you had said rescued. Recovered doesn't sound optimistic.


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## v2 (Jul 21, 2008)




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## ccheese (Jul 21, 2008)

I stand corrected. Fox News said: "At least two people were recovered from the waters, but their condition was not immediately available, the U.S. Coast Guard said."

Charles


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 21, 2008)

Well lets pray that those 2 recovered will be alright and hope for the best for the rest of the crew.


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## hunter0f2 (Jul 21, 2008)

I allways feel so sad when I read this kind of thing...Even when on missions of Peace, Flying still has it risks.....


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 21, 2008)

Arent those aircraft already too old ? , I tought all the B-52 were retired from service.


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## ToughOmbre (Jul 21, 2008)

CharlesBronson said:


> Arent those aircraft already too old ? , I tought all the B-52 were retired from service.



84 are still active, 9 in reserve from the 744 originally built.

And they'll be around for a long while to come. Has to be the longest run of any combat aircraft; been on active duty since 1954; first flight was 1952.

TO


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## Matt308 (Jul 21, 2008)

Yep. They have a lot of life left in them. Shoot, they STILL talk about reengining them with 4 high bypass turbofans. The USAF lost out on their long range ECM aircraft plan. But a conventional bomb dump truck is still very appealing to war planners.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 21, 2008)

Thanks, I see, but I dont think the pilots would be amused in flying 50 years old bombers anymore  , too bad that the USAF didnt bought more B-1 Lancers.


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## Matt308 (Jul 21, 2008)

On that we agree. Blame Carter. Hard to imagine a BUFF pilot younger than his plane.


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## Matt308 (Jul 21, 2008)

Local radio news is saying two found are deceased. 4 missing.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 21, 2008)

Is always painful when good pilots are lost, my sincere sympathies for them.

Maybe the time has come for the old bird.


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## Matt308 (Jul 21, 2008)

My guess is this has nothing to do with age related metal fatigue. Rather, it will likely be something much more preventable. We've already lost too many flyers and airframes to high bank angle maneuvers. Will be interesting to see what is blamed as the cause in the final report. We can armchair all day on what "might have happened". But the BUFF is notorious for having an unrecoverable mode during high bank angles. And all crew lost? Smacks of low altitude. Who knows.


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## CharlesBronson (Jul 21, 2008)

I was looking for more info about this case and I just realize that some of the crew seats ejected downwards ....no good.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jul 21, 2008)

Just read this. My condolences to the families of the crew members.


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## Matt308 (Jul 21, 2008)

CharlesBronson said:


> I was looking for more info about this case and I just realize that some of the crew seats ejected downwards ....no good.



Yeah... especially at low altitude. I don't know if the BUFF is like other dual seat fighter aircraft where the ejection can be mastered to the pilot. Perhaps someone else can weigh in on that one.


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## FLYBOYJ (Jul 21, 2008)

Matt308 said:


> Yeah... especially at low altitude. I don't know if the BUFF is like other dual seat fighter aircraft where the ejection can be mastered to the pilot. Perhaps someone else can weigh in on that one.


I'm not 100% sure but I think the ones that eject downward don't have any squibs - they are free falling. 

I work with a guy who is a former B-52 gunner, he get back from vacation in a few weeks, I'll try to remember to ask him.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 22, 2008)

My condolences to the families.



Joe you are correct with the downward seats (not 100% sure though about the squibs). I saw a documentary on the B-52 and they demonstrated the ejection process. Just cant quite remember how it all went.


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## seesul (Jul 23, 2008)

Each crew station has its escape hatch and ejection seat.
This unit contains a description of the various components that make up the B-52G egress systems.
These systems include the upward ejection system, downward ejection system, and their respective escape hatches.

A complete system description at B-52 Egress System


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## evangilder (Jul 23, 2008)

God speed my brothers.


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## B-17engineer (Jul 23, 2008)

Hope they find them all. Sad to hear


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## seesul (Sep 26, 2012)

I had an oportunity to sit in the pilot´s seat of B-52 this past weekend and I remembered this accident so here´s the explanation http://www.acc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-090213-173.pdf


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## Matt308 (Sep 26, 2012)

Damn. And yet another BUFF crew lost in a high bank angle coupled with other factors.


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