Accident Boeing B-52H-150-BW Stratofortress 60-0039,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 48282
 
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Date:Friday 1 April 1977
Time:00:01
Type:Silhouette image of generic B52 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Boeing B-52H-150-BW Stratofortress
Owner/operator:410th BWg USAF
Registration: 60-0039
MSN: 464404
Fatalities:Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:near K I Sawyer AFB, Marquette, Michigan -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Military
Departure airport:K I Sawyer AFB, Michigan
Destination airport:K I Sawyer AFB, Michigan
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
B-52H s/n 60‑0039 of 410th Bomb Wing, USAF based at K I Sawyer AFB, Marquette, Michigan. Flew into ground on approach for landing in storm, Michigan. Cause of accident believed to be that no one read the radar altimeter, to which 4 crew members had access, and the pilot, who had had the runway in site initially, lost it in the clouds and keyed in instead on a sloping cloud deck that moved in between the B-52 and the runway. What he thought was straight and level flight, based on reflections of the landing lights off the clouds, was in fact a very great rate of descent

All eight crew on board were killed:
Capt. James B. Cosgrave - killed
Co-pilot 1st Lt. Gary Lee Hudson [also seen as Captain - was this a posthumous rank award?],29, Boulder, Colorado - killed
Captain Chris Morrill -killed
Captain Lawrence Fitch Kraut, 30, Galena, Illinois, Radar Navigator - killed
Major James F. Bartsch, 39, Springdale, Arkansas, EWO - killed
Captain Dennis Wilton Soerens, 27, Hingham, Wisconsin, Radar Navigator - killed
M.Sgt. John William Moore Tail Gunner -killed
Capt. Pat Shortell - killed
Capt. Stephen G. Johnson

Sources:

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1960.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20171101061754/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/aircraft_by_type/b52_stratofortress.htm
http://www.mil-veh.org/archives/05-09/0968.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._I._Sawyer_Air_Force_Base
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=132109998

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
07-Nov-2008 10:15 ASN archive Added
12-Feb-2013 18:04 Dr. John Smith Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
19-Feb-2013 09:22 Dr. John Smith Updated [Narrative]
19-Feb-2013 09:30 Dr. John Smith Updated [Narrative]
16-Feb-2017 13:36 roya@common-sense-in Updated [Source, Narrative]
12-Apr-2018 15:40 Jack Madill Updated [Time]
31-Jan-2019 22:11 wf Updated [Aircraft type]
03-Feb-2019 08:04 wf Updated [Aircraft type]
21-Dec-2019 09:34 Nepa Updated [Operator, Operator]
04-Jan-2020 20:12 Stephanie Updated [Narrative]
16-Feb-2021 18:29 tdd Updated [Narrative]
27-Feb-2021 15:41 Anon. Updated [Operator, Operator]
31-May-2023 05:38 Anon. Updated [[Operator, Operator]]

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