Plane Crash: It was extremely cold in western Maryland on a January night in 1964. The strong icy winds on the heights of Savage Mountain were ready to blow away everything. Talking about the situation of the spot, there was very dense darkness from the ground to the sky. Due to icy winds the temperature had reached below zero. Amidst all this, the B-52 Stratofortress bomber plane of the American Air Force (USAF) was flying in the air with a special mission.

This plane with the call sign ‘Buzz One Four’ was not a normal flight, rather it was circling in the sky under the Chrome Dome Mission. In fact, during this period of Cold War, B-52 bomber planes of the American Air Force were continuously in the air, so that the Soviet attack could be immediately responded to. Two B-53 nuclear bombs with a power of 24 megatons were kept in this bomber plane. This power was enough to destroy thousands of cities like Hiroshima.

USAF plane was flying over Maryland

On January 13, 1965, at around 11:30 pm, this plane was flying over western Maryland. Suddenly the weather started changing rapidly. Within a few moments, the weather became so bad and the speed of the icy winds increased so much that it became almost impossible for anything to survive. Meanwhile, the strong winter storm threw the B-52 bomber plane of the US Air Force into very dangerous turbulence. It became difficult for the plane to stay afloat in this turbulence.

According to reports, the shocks of turbulence were so strong that the vertical stabilizer that maintained the balance of the plane broke apart. In such a situation, the B-52 bomber aircraft completely went out of the pilot’s control. Sitting in the cockpit, Major Thomas W. McCormick, who was the pilot of the plane, understood the final outcome. There was no response from the controls and it was becoming impossible to maintain altitude. He immediately asked the crew to eject.

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Major Robert got trapped in the parachute of the bomber plane.

At this moment, the five crew members could see the fine line of life and death drawn in front of them. Between the icy wind, the darkness of the night and the unknown mountain below, every second was becoming heavier. Co-pilot Captain Parker C. Peedin and Pilot McCormick were successful in getting out by parachute. After landing near Meadow Mountain, McCormick saw a light in the distance. With the help of a local man, he reached the Tomlinson Inn and reported the crash from there.

Captain Peedin landed near New Germany Road, but his ordeal was not yet over. He kept wandering in the snowy forest for 36 hours. During this time, they neither had clothes to protect themselves from the cold nor food to eat. Eventually he was discovered alive. But the night ended there for the remaining three crew members. Radar bombardier Major Robert Townley could not get out of the plane. He was left stranded due to centrifugal force or parachute system problem.

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The story after this will give you goosebumps

Major Robert Townley’s body was found in the debris several days later. At the same time, Navigator Major Robert Le Pen and Tail Gunner Technical Sergeant Melvin E. Wooten came out by parachute, but their struggle in the snowy forest could not last long. Both died of hypothermia due to extreme cold. Wooten had a leg injury. He could barely walk about 90 meters and fell near the Castleman River. His body was found five days later. Penn’s body was found near Salisbury.

Amidst all this, the biggest concern was about the two nuclear bombs present in the bomber plane. According to reports, the bombs were unarmed at the time of the accident. Their detonators were not activated, but the danger was still very serious. These bombs were found safe despite the crash. Some parts were definitely damaged, but there was no explosion, nor was there any radiation leakage. The 28th Ordnance Detachment of the US Army safely took possession of both the nuclear bombs within two days.

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This plane crash happened due to structural failure

Later, both bombs were taken to Cumberland Municipal Airport. The Savage Mountain area was spared an unimaginable disaster that night. Later investigation revealed that the accident occurred due to structural failure due to excessive turbulence. The plane was at an altitude of about 29,500 feet and was trying to avoid the weather.