Broken Arrow at Hardinsburg, Kentucky by Charles H. Bogart ,, Broken Arrow," a Cold War code word, is still used to . day by the US government. The utterance of this word would guarantee a rush of adrenaline in the hearts and minds of all that heard it. The code Broken Arrow meant that there had been a nuclear B-52 as seen from a KC-135 tanker (F. Sylvanovich collection) weapon accident "involving either a nuclear weapon, or nuclear warhead, or nuclear component." during the 1950s, 488 B-52s, mission. Standard procedure for On 15 October 1959 a Broken Ar­ carrying designations running SAC, in this period, was to keep ro°;;tfiicident was declared by the from B-52A to B-52F. twelve B-52s airborne 24 hours a Strategic Air Command (SAC) out­ The fear that the Soviets would day armed with nuclear weapons side of the town of Hardinsburg, launch an unannounced attack on so that if the North American Kentucky. the US using nuclear weapons led Defense Command detected a Hardinsburg, Kentucky is a to SAC aircraft to canying nuclear Soviet attack on the United States, small farm community located 70 weapons on board while they were SAC could immediately launch its miles west of Louisville. It is the on "Alert Status" and while flying aircraft in a retaliatory stiike. This county seat ofBreckinridge County. training missions. The nuclear meant that aircraft on training In 1960 Hardinsburg had a popu­ weapons carried by SAC's B-52s missions were armed with nuclear lation of 1,500 and the county had during this period were free falling weapons. This would allow them to a population of 12,000. Fam1ing bombs. The normal free fall bomb divert from their training mission was the main occupation. The only load per aircraft was two bombs, to hit their assigned Soviet target if US highway in the county was US but up to four could be carried needed while they were air­ 60, a winding, narrow, two lane depending on the weapon class. borne. Each B-52 on airborne alert blacktop road, that connected On 15 October 1959, at 2:30PM status could carry two to four Hardinsburg with Louisville to the CST, the 492nd Bomber Squadron nuclear bombs. east and Paducah to the west. of the 4228th Strategic Wing, The Nr Force has never con­ The 1950s had seen SAC stationed at the Columbus Air Force firmed what type of nuclear growing in strength. The piston Base, in Mississippi, launched a weapons #57-036 was carrying on engine B-29, B-36, and B-50 B-52F, serial number 57-036, on a 15 October 1959, but it is thought bombers and KC-97 tanker gave training mission as part of"Opera­ that they were Mk-39 free fall way to the jet powered B-47, B-52, tion Steel Trap." The flight was to bombs. The Mk-39 was an improved and B-58 bombers and KC-135 be of 15 hours duration. The plane Mk-15 bomb and had a four tankers. The B-52 Stratofortress was to fly a simulated mission megaton yield. This was one of the became the main SAC bomber. Its against a Soviet target. During the smaller yield nuclear bombs de­ high speed had led to the develop­ course of the flight it would refuel ployed by the US in the 1950s. ment of the jet powered KC-135 twice from a KC-135A and conduct The B-52F normally had a crew Stratotanker, because the propel­ a simulated bombing run. of six men. The crew of #57-036 ler driven KC-97 tanker's low When B-52F #57-036 was on I 5 October, consisted of Cap­ speed forced the B-52 to fly at near launched on 15 October 1959 she tain William G. Gutshall, aircraft stalling speed while refueling. The carried on board two nuclear commander; Major Milton Chat­ B-52 itself was undergoing a series weapons. Besides carrying out her ham, Instructor Pilot: 1st of modifications that saw the Air tLaining syllabus she was also Lieutenant Donald Arger, Co-Pilot; Force taking into its inventory assigned an airborne alert Captain James Strother, Radio page 42 1,'?jf I FrienM__Journal VOL. 24, NO. 2 SUMMER 2001 Operator; 1st Lieutenant Gino tanker to be entering an elongated guidance during refueling was l"ugazzi, Radar Navigator; Captain leg of its pattern when a B-52 joins provided via radio link from the Lyle Burgess, Instmctor Navigator; up to commence refueling. Refuel­ tanker boom operator. With the and Technical Sergeant Howard ing, if all went well, stopped and B-52's nose just aft of the tail of the Helms, Gunner. the two planes separated, just KC-135, and at an altitude 25 feet At 1730 on 15 October 1959, before the tanker starts its tum lower, the boom operator would fly the 901 st Air Refueling Squadron for the opposite elongated leg. the boom into the refueling recep­ (AREFSJ of the 4228th Strategic The B-52 or other aircraft to be tacle located just aft of the B-52 Wing launched a KC- l 35A aircraft, refueled would approach the cockpit. serial number 57-1513, to provide KC-!35A from below and behind. The KC-135 refueling boom refueling service to 492nd B-52, The flight envelope between a B-52 consists of two tubular sections #57-036. The KC-135A was sched­ and a KC-135 for refueling is a that can extend out to 27 feet. The uled for a 15 hour mission during moving space twelve feet long, 14 boom can be moved through a cone which she would conduct a num­ feet wide, and 21 feet wide. At a area by "ruddevators," which act ber of aerial refuelings. The tanker speed of 500MPH, it takes only a as both rudders and elevators, they had a crew of four men. They were second to get out of position. The are, attached near the end of the Maj Robert Imhoff, Aircraft Com­ B-52 pilot positioned his aircraft boom. The boom operator by ma­ mander; 1st Lt William Epling, at the proper distance and altitude nipulating the ruddevators can Co-pilot: 1st Lt Harold Helmick, from the KC-135 by monitoring its meve the boom through a 30 de­ Navigator: and Staff Sergeant Paul system of director lights arranged gree right and left azimuth plus Thomason, Boom Operator. in two parallel lines. These lights elevate and depress the boom from The tanker, upon departure are located on the belly of the tanker horizontal to minus 50 degrees. At from Columbus, had been assigned behind that aircraft's nose wheel the end of the boom is a telescoping a refueling area over Kentucky. The housing. The row of lights tubular section that the boom B-52 crew was briefed where the informed the pilot of the refueling operator inserts and locks into the KC-135 would take up position to B-52 if he needed to come forward receiving plane's refueling recep­ refuel. On reaching the refueling or drop back to be in the proper tacle. Once the boom is plugged position the KC-135 began to fly a refueling position. into the B-52, refueling commences left tum pattern that resembled an The pressure of the receiving with 6,500 pounds ofjet fuel being elongated race course. To assist aircraft on the boom controls the transferred each minute. The the B-52 to locate the tanker the light pattern. The boom having KC-135Acan carry 202,800 pounds KC-135 activated a radar IFF code. the ability to extend and compress, of JP-4 fuel for transfer. Upon the This code allows the aircraft to be and move right and left within the B-52 reporting it has received its refueled to identify its refueling air­ flight refueling envelope. This quota of fuel, the boom operator craft from beyond visual range. movement of the boom activates disconnects the boom. Once free of SAC's refueling SOP calls for the the directional lights. Additional the boom the two aircraft separate and each continues on its assigned mission. Boeing KC·135A (USAFM) On 15 October at 1840 CST, the two aircraft, #57-036 and #57-1513 began to prepare for refueling operations. The KC-135, assumed a racetrack refueling box overwestem Kentucky. The weather that night was clear, and there was no upper air turbulence. Wind speed was 20 MPH out of the west. Horizontal visibility was seven miles. The two aircraft began to rendezvous over Hardinsburg, Kentucky, at 31,500 feet. Upon joining up, the KC-135 would begin to transfer fuel to the B-52 by means of a refueling boom. The page 43 boom refueling operator would from sites distant and far. Phone bun1ing, because it was giving off lower the boom and guide it into calls flooded both the Kentucky a brilliant white fire. Near the fuse­ the B-52 refueling receptacle. In and Indiana State Police plus local lage were three holes in the ground order to carry out the refueling law enforcement agencies. Most ranging in size from 20 to 30 feet operation the two aircraft would people identifying what they saw in long and stx to 8 feet wide. They have to fly within 25 feet of each the sky as a meteorite, a shooting were filled with a liquid that smelled other. The B-52 took a position star, a UFO, or a Russian "Sputnik" like Kerosene." below and to the rear of the satellite.