2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-52 crash

Infobox Aircraft crash
date = July 21, 2008

---

|300px
caption = B-52H 60-053 in February 2004
type =
site = Andersen Air Force Base Guam
crew = 6
survivors = 0
aircraft_type = B-52H Stratofortress
aircraft_name = Louisiana Fire
operator = United States Air Force
tail_number = 60-053

On July 21, 2008, a B-52H Stratofortress crashed into the Pacific Ocean approximately 25 nautical miles (46 km) northwest of Apra Harbor, Guam, [ [http://www.wnbc.com/news/16939030/detail.html?rss=ny&psp=nationalnews www.wnbc.com: "B-52 Bomber Crashes Off Guam" (21.7.2008)] ] after taking off from Andersen Air Force Base. [ [http://www.kuam.com/news/29067.aspx KUAM News: Search continues for those aboard crashed B-52] ] The aircraft, named "Louisiana Fire" and with the mission call sign of "Raider 21", was about to participate in a flyover for the Liberation Day parade in Hagåtña when it crashed at 9:45 AM ChST (2345 UTC), 15 minutes before the parade was scheduled to start. [Prime, John Andrew, "Searchers For B-52 Wreckage Face Daunting Challenges", "Shreveport (LA) Times", September 6, 2008.]

On July 23, 2008, the U. S. Air Force announced that there were no survivors, and that the rescue effort had turned to a recovery mission for four still-missing members of the crew of six. [ [http://www.news10.net/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=45297&catid=5
] ]

Crew and Unit

The dead crewmembers were: Major Christopher M. Cooper, 33, aircraft commander, Major Brent D. Williams, 37, radar navigator, Captain Michael K. Dodson, 31, co-pilot, First Lieutenant Joshua D. Shepherd, 26, navigator, First Lieutenant Robert D. Gerren, 32, electronic warfare officer, and Colonel George Martin. Martin was the deputy commander of 36th Medical Group at Andersen, and the other crewmembers were all from the 20th Bomb Squadron or the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Two bodies and other remains were recovered from the vicinity of the crash site, and were later identified as Major Christopher Cooper and Major Brent Williams. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation and no other remains of the missing crewmembers have been located. [Prime, John Andrew, "Searchers For B-52 Wreckage Face Daunting Challenges", "Shreveport (LA) Times", September 6, 2008.]

The bomber was also assigned to the 20th Bomb Squadron, and, along with the crew, was on temporary duty at Andersen as part of a four month rotation. [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/21/guam.crash/?iref=mpstoryview www.cnn.com: "B-52 bomber crashes near Guam" (21.7.2008)] ] The bomber was part of a unit that replaced four B-2 Spirit bombers, one of which crashed upon take-off in February 23, 2008 while attempting to return to Whiteman AFB upon completion of their four month temporary duty at Andersen. [Prime, John Andrew, "Searchers For B-52 Wreckage Face Daunting Challenges", "Shreveport (LA) Times", September 6, 2008.]

Recovery and investigation

Air Combat Command announced at the end of August 2008 that the USAF is working with the United States Navy to map and then possibly retrieve the aircraft's wreckage from the ocean floor. The wreckage would not include a flight data recorder because the aircraft was not equipped with one. [Military Times, "AF, Navy begin B-52 Recovery", "Air Force Times", September 1, 2008, p. 5.]

The search and recovery of the aircraft debris from the ocean floor will be supervised by a US Navy Office of the Director of Ocean Engineering, Supervisor of Salvage and Diving team operating from the US Military Sealift Command ship USNS Sioux (T-ATF-171). The depth of the ocean floor where the aircraft wreckage is believed to be is between convert|12000|ft|m and convert|13000|ft|m. The team of 20 civilian and military recovery specialists on "Sioux" will employ the Fly Away Deep Ocean Salvage System, CURV III remotely operated underwater vehicle, and Orion side scan sonar to locate the wreckage. [Prime, John Andrew, "Searchers For B-52 Wreckage Face Daunting Challenges", "Shreveport (LA) Times", September 6, 2008.]

References

* cite web
last = Associated Press
first =
year = July 21, 2008
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/us/21bomber.html
title = B-52 Crashes Off Guam
format =
work = New York Times
accessdate = 2008-07-25
* cite web
last = Associated Press
first =
year = July 24, 2008
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/us/24brfs-ALL6INBOMBER_BRF.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Hawaii%3A+All+6+In+Bomber+Crew+Are+Dead&st=nyt&oref=slogin
title = Hawaii: All 6 in Bomber Crew Are Dead
format =
work = New York Times
accessdate = 2008-07-25
* cite web
last = Military Times
first =
year = July 24, 2008
url = http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2008/07/airforce_b52_writethru_072308w/
title = Officials identify airmen killed in B-52 crash
format =
work = Military Times
accessdate = 2008-07-25
* cite web
last = Weaver
first = Teri
year = July 23, 2008
url = http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63512&archive=true
title = Search for four missing airmen continues after B-52 crash off Guam
format =
work = Stars and Stripes
accessdate = 2008-07-25
* cite web
last = Weaver
first = Teri
year = July 25, 2008
url = http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56322
title = Air Force says there were no survivors of B-52 crash off Guam
format =
work = Stars and Stripes
accessdate = 2008-07-25

Notes