1969 — Jan 21 USAF B52 takeoff crash, incorrect trim setting, 1M ~Minot AFB, ND — all 6

–6 AP. “B-52 Crash Claims Life of S.D. Man.” The Daily Plainsman, Huron, SD. 1-22-1969, p1.
–6 Aviation Safety Network. USAF B52 takeoff crash Minot AFB, ND, 21 Jan 1969.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database:
“Date: 21-Jan-1969
“Type: Boeing B-52H-175-BW Stratofortress
“Owner/operator: …5th Bomb Wing United States Air Force
“Registration: 61-0037
“MSN: 464464
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
“Other fatalities: 0
….
“Location: 1 mile from Minot AFB, North Dakota
“Phase: Take off
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Minot AFB, ND
“Destination airport: [Not noted.]
“Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
“Narrative:

“B-52H s/n 61 0037 of 5th Bomb Wing, USAF, based at Minot AFB, ND. Crashed and destroyed January 21, 1969. Incorrect trim selection caused stall on take off. Aircraft climbed to about 200-300 feet, made several pitch gyrations and crashed on a farm about a mile from base runway”

Newspaper

Jan 22, AP: “Minot, N.D. (AP) – A giant B-52 jet bomber slammed down shortly after takeoff from Minot Air Force Base Tuesday [Jan 21] — killing all six crewmen. The bodies were recovered from the charred wreckage of the plane strewn over a wide area of a farm about a mile from the end of the runway. The eight-engine, $8 million craft was on a training mission and carried no nuclear weapons, according to Air Force officials. Fires started by the crash were under control a half hour after the accident, according to a spokesman who said there was no immediate indication of the cause. A board of officers was convened to investigate.

“The crash in lightly falling snow was the third near Minot in just over a year involving Air Force planes.

“Victims of the crash were identified as: Maj. Bryon D. Edwards, 36, plane commander, Bismarck, Mn.; First Lt. Kenneth A Kuhn, 25, co-pilot, Beatrice, Neb.; Capt. Gerald J. Walla, 29, navigator, Schulenberg, Tex.; Capt. Richard L. Jones, 31 electronics officer, Evanston, Ill.; Capt. James C. Jiles, 30, radar navigator, Mesa, Ariz.; and Tech. Sgt. Lee A. Gunn, 34, gunner, Gary, S.D.

“A B-52 Stratofortress crashed near the base four months ago, killing four of the six crewmen. And last January, 12 men died in the crash of a KC135 tanker on takeoff from the base. A 13th man died later of injuries received in the crash.” (Associated Press. “B-52 Crash Claims Life of S.D. Man.” The Daily Plainsman, Huron, SD. 1-22-1969, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “B-52 Crash Claims Life of S.D. Man.” The Daily Plainsman, Huron, SD. 1-22-1969, p. 1. Accessed 7-17-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/huron-daily-plainsman-jan-22-1969-p-1/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database. USAF B52 Stratofortress takeoff crash Minot AFB, ND, 21 Jan 1969. Accessed 7-17-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/48286