ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 153804
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| Date: | Friday 9 November 1951 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Boeing EB-50A Superfortress |
| Owner/operator: | AFFTC /ARDC USAF |
| Registration: | 46-006 |
| MSN: | 15726 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Edwards AFB, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Edwards AFB, CA |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
This aircraft was orginally built as B-50A-5-BO, but later converted to a EB-50B as carrier for the Bell X-1 experimental plane
After a captive flight to test the propellant jettison system, the EB-50A landed back at Edwards AFB with X-1-3 "Queenie" (46-064) still attached as its pilot Joe Cannon was prevented from jettisoning the propellants by a loss of nitrogen source pressure. The nitrogen was repressurized while the aircraft was parked away from the others on the flightline, but the X-1 exploded when its pilot began to pressurize the liquid oxygen tank. Joe Cannon immediately jumped from the plane but was badly burned before he could be pulled clear. Both aircraft were completely destroyed by the fire.
The cause of the explosion was the use of ulmer leather gaskets in conjunction with liquid oxygen. Paraffin residue from the gaskets in the liquid oxygen tank provided the fuel for the explosions which were triggered by the impulse of tank pressurization. Two more aircraft and two lives were lost before this was discovered.
Sources:
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asp
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
http://www.air-and-space.com/edwards.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Mar-2013 08:42 | Tetrapack | Added |
| 21-May-2021 09:23 | siczak | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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