KC135 Accident - Walker AFB (near Roswell NM) Feb 3rd, 1960

[golson33]

VB - I too was there as a J-57 Jet Engine mechanic. At the time of the crash I was in a base classroom taking the exams for Aviation Cadet and OCS entry. Yes, the winds on that clear day were gusting to almost 40 knots. When I heard the boom from the JP4 cooking off, i ran outside and looked toward the departure runway. Those KC135's left a lot of black smoke at max power, and I could tell fro teh position of th esmoke above the building tops that teh aircraft had tried to come off too early and stalled. First on the number 4 engine, knocking it off its' mounts, which caused the aircraft to roll left and headed directly for the maintenance hanger where there were approximately 50 of my mates working on engine rebuilds. The aircraft careened and caught the number 1 engine on the ground, broke free and jetted toward one of our mechanics on a tug. When he saw the engine coming at him, he jumped from the tug just in time - the engine hit the tug and exploded. At that same moment the aircraft recovered enough to vere starboard and as it plowed into three other completely loaded KC135's on the Ramp, exploding them as well, the aircraft rammed into the hangr next door (The first picture of your fathers that shows the burning hanger). An ocean wave of burning fuel consumed everything on the ramp (yes there were some individuals in cars on the ramp that died from the burning fuel) the three KC135's, cars, and the hanger where it came to rest. BTW there was a parachute training class of some 15 - 25 men being conducted upstairs. They too perished. Besides the eight flight crew, there were closer to 40 who died that day. The next day I saw where the Major, a navigator had died on the ramp outside our hanger (his major insignia had melted on the ground from his flight suit). Such a terrible disaster. Yes -- I did pass my exams and became an Officer, and a Flight Navigator during my 12 year history with the USAF. Regards, Gary

[vikingBerserker]

Dam, thanks for the additional info Gary, and welcome aboard.

[Les Kaar]

I was stationed at Walker 1959 t0 62 We were just catching ball behind our barracks and it happened. You can see we were closer to Runway 17/35. I got these photos from another Vet that was stationed with me @ 686th AC&W SQ. Hope I didn't anger anyone on posting the pictures. God bless those guys that tried to save and put out that fire

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Wow! Thank you for posting Les. And thank you for your service sir.

[vikingBerserker]

I'm with Aaron on this one, THANK YOU!!

[syscom3]

Thanks for those pics!

[Larry P]

I was stationed at Walker AFB from Sept- 1959- Oct-1960. I was in the 6th OMS and was standing within 200 feet of runway when a KC-135 was taking off. The left wing tip hit the ground and it spun left towards a hanger. My room mate was near that hanger and his jacket was scorched black on the back.There was another kc-135 in it's path and men actually pushed that airplane out of the way before the crash into the hanger. They could not duplicate the feat later. I transferred later to Ellsworth AFB where we then lost a Kc-135 on a flight to Spokane. I was supposed to be on that flight and my first Sgt actually called my home to tell my wife that I was dead. I answered the phone. I hadn't got up in time to make the flight. I am now 70 and still love flying,,,,,,Larry

[vikingBerserker]

Very cool Larry, and I appreiciate you adding to the topic. I'm really amazed at the number of people here who were there, and Welcome Aboard!

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Wow! Welcome aboard Larry and thank you for your service sir.

[Sam Hepford]

Similar experience. B-47 crashes on base at Pease AFB, 1960-1963, 100th Bomb Wing. We lived at 31 Birch Drive in base housing. On two occasions there were terrible explosions and the night sky lit up. On both occasions my Pop was due home from what they called Reflex Missions to Brize Norton AB, England. They were sent out and came home in a Vee formation of three aircraft. Both times my Mom shot to the phone and called base operations to see who crashed. My Pop wasn't one of them but she would begin to cry because she learned which of her friends lost their husbands. We, as kids (I was 8 years old) learned which of our friends lost their Pops and knew they would move away. My Mom absolutely hated the military never saying one kind word about it. That early jet age killed many of her friend's husbands due to accidents and she lived in constant fear of my Pop being one of the statistics. Twenty years of living in fear like that are seldom chronicled in military journals. Military wives and families are different kinds of veterans, but veterans nonetheless.

There were subsequent investigations of the above crashes, which I learned the results of years later from my Pop, with the key findings that, 1) Fast jet bombers required the skills of fighter pilots with regard to reaction times and keeping their heads out in front of the (high speed) airplanes. Transitioning reciprocating engine pilots should be transitioned in T-33s before moving to the new bombers and, 2) At the time pilots were ordered to follow the commands of tower controllers who were not trained in the controller procedures for that particular high performance jet bomber, their higher approach speeds and slower power (turbine spool up times) recovery for aborting. A controller directed one aircraft onto the "runway" on one fogged-in night. The "runway" was, in reality, the base golf course. IOW, it crashed short of the runway killing all 3 crew members. The investigation determined that due to the conditions of that night the pilot could not have recovered.

I remember seeing the burned out wreckage of one in the base golf course the morning after.

Our family lived at 173 White Birch Drive then. We moved off base the summer of 1963. I remember the crash mentioned above. It must have been in late May or June of that year because it was the on the first night in our new rental. I rember the golf course fareways were burned out about 200 yards from the club house.

[ToquiQuito]

I believe my parents drove onto this base the day after it happenned. We had some old 8 mm color movies of this. I remember seeing about a third of the hanger caved in.