A B-52 tore apart over North Carolina in January 1961 and dropped two hydrogen bombs, and Sandia's own accident reports, released in 2021, record that one bomb powered itself up, ran its timer out and

Key Points:

• On 24 January 1961, a B-52G carrying two Mk 39 Mod 2 thermonuclear weapons crashed near Seymour Johnson Air Force Base after a fuel leak in its right wing led to loss of control and breakup at approximately 9,000 feet.
• Five of the eight crew members survived the bailout, reporting that both nuclear weapons remained aboard in safe condition, with safety switches engaged and bomb rack locks sealed as per airborne alert protocols.
• One bomb descended under its parachute, landing intact with safing pins removed but critical arm-safe switches preventing detonation; the other bomb fell free without parachute, creating a large crater but also did not detonate due to safety mechanisms despite impact damage.
• Declassified Sandia Corporation reports from 1961 provide detailed engineering analysis confirming the bombs' safety systems functioned correctly, contradicting later dramatic claims that a single switch prevented a nuclear explosion.
• The reports recommended rapid implementation of a safety modification (ALT 197) to improve bomb safety during airborne alert missions, and the Air Force publicly disclosed the crash promptly, though detailed technical information only emerged decades later.