A 1961 plane crash almost led to a nuclear explosion in North Carolina after three of four safety mechanisms failed to prevent detonation.
Two H-bombs were nearly detonated over North Carolina, a disaster only prevented by a low-voltage safety mechanism. Three of the four safety mechanisms had failed, leaving the final switch to save the country from a disaster of unprecedented proportions.
As reported by the Guardian:
“…two Mark 39 hydrogen bombs were accidentally dropped over Goldsboro, North Carolina on 23 January 1961. The bombs fell to earth after a B-52 bomber broke up in mid-air, and one of the devices behaved precisely as a nuclear weapon was designed to behave in warfare: its parachute opened, its trigger mechanisms engaged, and only one low-voltage switch prevented untold carnage.”
Sources
- US nearly detonated atomic bomb over North Carolina – secret document (Ed Pilkington, The Guardian: September 20, 2013)
- Atomic bomb nearly exploded over North Carolina in 1961, report says (FoxNews.com: September 21, 2013)
