Crazy as that sounds, the incident is not unique. Officially, the U.S. has lost 11 nuclear bombs in accidents over the years, although unofficially the total is thought to be around 50. Here are three other verified incidents:
1961: When a faulty fuel line exploded in a B-52 bomber flying near Goldsboro, North Carolina, the crew dumped three hydrogen bombs overboard. Parachutes landed two of them safely below. But the third plummeted earthward and landed in a swamp, where it remains stuck somewhere in the muck deep below the surface.
1965: An A-4 Skyhawk aircraft fell off the side of the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga near Japan. The pilot and a one-ton nuclear weapon sank to the bottom, too far down to be retrieved.
1966: While flying along the southeast coast of Spain, a B-52 bomber crashed into a tanker aircraft while attempting to refuel in midair. Both planes exploded, causing two of the B-52's four hydrogen bombs to partially detonate. Bomb fragments and radioactive dust rained down on the coastal city of Palomares. A third bomb landed safely in a tomato field, while the last dropped into the Mediterranean Sea, never to be seen again.
1966: While flying along the southeast coast of Spain, a B-52 bomber crashed into a tanker aircraft while attempting to refuel in midair. Both planes exploded, causing two of the B-52's four hydrogen bombs to partially detonate. Bomb fragments and radioactive dust rained down on the coastal city of Palomares. A third bomb landed safely in a tomato field, while the last dropped into the Mediterranean Sea, never to be seen again.
Excerpted from iFlush: Plunging into Mystery
