Did you know that registration to Fighter Control is completely free and brings you lots of added features? Find out more....

Palomares incident 1966

A forum for discussing all things related to MILITARY AVIATION including Military Aviation news. No off-topic discussions here please.
Post Reply
Snoop 95
Posts: 1885
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:17 pm
Location: West Suffolk

Palomares incident 1966

Post by Snoop 95 » Thu Feb 09, 2017 9:48 am

Here is an interesting article from Forcestv about the mid-air collision between a B52 carrying nuclear weapons and a tanker over Spain in 1966.

http://forces.tv/node/92885

User avatar
22A
Posts: 931
Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2010 11:47 am
Location: Peterborough

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by 22A » Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:17 pm

I read that contaminated sand was removed from Spain and replaced with an equal amount from New Mexico.
At Lakenheath the story went that the fire crew were told to ignore the burning aircraft and concentrate on keeping the igloos cool. That book "The unsinkable aircraft carrier" states one US airman having seen what happened ran out of the main gate, leapt into a taxi and told the cabbie "Go! Anywhere, just go"!
Depending on it's severity, nuclear incidents have three alarm levels with Blunt Sword being the lowest, rising through Bent Spear to Broken Arrow. There is a line of film dialogue in which one character says, "Broken Arrow doesn't worry me. What does worry me is that it happens so often you have a code name for it".

Pete_uk
Posts: 174
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:50 am

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by Pete_uk » Thu Feb 09, 2017 4:56 pm

Beats our accidental invasion some years ago :ninja: :O

gyvespa
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:49 pm

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by gyvespa » Thu Feb 09, 2017 5:26 pm

I've mentioned this before on here.

You NEED to read 'Command and Control' by Eric Schlosser

The whole book is full of stuff like this, it's scary (and a VERY good read).

Also 'Defusing Armageddon' by Jeffrey T. Richardson if you can get a copy.
It's about NEST the Nuclear Emergency Support Team, yep there's a Nuke Bomb Squad !
I like to think they're not tooooo busy.

User avatar
gamecock
Posts: 677
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:27 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by gamecock » Sun Feb 12, 2017 6:28 pm

I'm reading this book right now (Christmas present). It is excellent as you say gyvespa. Coincidentally, there's a documentary based on the book being shown on PBS at 9pm on Friday 17th Feb:

http://www.commandandcontrolfilm.com/

gyvespa
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:49 pm

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by gyvespa » Sun Feb 12, 2017 6:45 pm

Thanks for that.

Just watched the trailer in the link you gave.
It looks good, shame we 'can't' get it, but it'll be on Amazon soon enough.

Cold War history is my thing.
I have quite a library of strange books, I'm sure people think I'm a bit odd when they see some of the titles on my shelf.
They're probably right.

Jaymer15
Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:34 pm
Location: Chipping Sodbury Near Bristol

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by Jaymer15 » Sun Feb 12, 2017 7:29 pm

gamecock wrote:I'm reading this book right now (Christmas present). It is excellent as you say gyvespa. Coincidentally, there's a documentary based on the book being shown on PBS at 9pm on Friday 17th Feb:

http://www.commandandcontrolfilm.com/
Wasn't there a 80s TV film called Disaster at Silo 7 based on the same indented?

Green133
Posts: 173
Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2015 9:57 pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by Green133 » Sun Feb 12, 2017 9:42 pm

gyvespa wrote:Thanks for that.

Just watched the trailer in the link you gave.
It looks good, shame we 'can't' get it, but it'll be on Amazon soon enough.

Cold War history is my thing.
I have quite a library of strange books, I'm sure people think I'm a bit odd when they see some of the titles on my shelf.
They're probably right.

You might be interested in this https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/raf-cold-war

Green133

gyvespa
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:49 pm

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by gyvespa » Mon Feb 13, 2017 7:55 am

It does look very interesting.

However I probably can't find another 5 hours to spare during the week.
I can barely keep up with the books and magazines I buy, which isn't many, I still have an Air & Space from December that I haven't even started.
The only reason I'm on FC is usually because I'm cooking or waiting for something or somebody.
When we're busy during the summer I often don't get on here for weeks.

Thanks for the link though.

User avatar
Evalu8ter
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:30 pm

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by Evalu8ter » Mon Feb 13, 2017 8:20 am

Green,
I did that RAF online course ladt time. It's fascinating and well worth the time - some of the discussions were superb!

Green133
Posts: 173
Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2015 9:57 pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by Green133 » Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:51 pm

Same here Evalu8ter.We may have 'conversed' on some of the topics.

Green133

User avatar
Del
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2018 10:33 am
Contact:

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by Del » Fri Sep 14, 2018 9:57 am

Green133 wrote:
Sun Feb 12, 2017 9:42 pm
gyvespa wrote:Thanks for that.

Just watched the trailer in the link you gave.
It looks good, shame we 'can't' get it, but it'll be on Amazon soon enough.

Cold War history is my thing.
I have quite a library of strange books, I'm sure people think I'm a bit odd when they see some of the titles on my shelf.
They're probably right.

You might be interested in this https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/raf-cold-war

Green133
If anyone is interested, I've had an email to say this course is running again, starting 5th November 2018
Derek

KC97L
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2011 4:31 pm

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by KC97L » Fri Sep 14, 2018 3:48 pm

Hi,

My first post.....

I live just 30 miles away from Palomares in Almeria, Spain. province. This incident features regularly in the local press and areas are still fenced off as being too contaminated. Much of the hazard waste was shipped off to the US, but since then more stringent tests have shown the need to remove further soil. President Obama agreed to foot the bill some years back, but this has now ground to a halt owing to a change of mind by the current administration.

I cannot see the problem being resolved in the foreseeable future.

Regards.

Great site by the way. Retired spotter c. late 60's through to early 80's. Quiet down here, but the current TLP at Albacete is sending over a/c
worth looking at.

johnwayne
Posts: 1004
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:48 am
Location: milton keynes

Re: Palomares incident 1966

Post by johnwayne » Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:06 am

Great post 97L - are you a sort of non-roving reporter ? Great call-sign too . Me ex-Burtonwood spotter .

Post Reply

Return to “The Fighter Control Mess”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 69 guests