B-52 Crashes with 6 Aboard

The Associated Press is reporting that a United States Air Force B-52 bomber has crashed off the island of Guam. The plane had a crew of six and only two have been rescued. Their condition is unknown.

As the AP reports, the bomber was scheduled to perform a "flyover" in the Liberation Day Parade when the crash occurred at 9:45 a.m. Monday.

Guam is an island 3,700 miles west of Hawaii.

In February, a B-52 crashed at Anderson Air Force Base, but both pilots ejected safely. Damage was estimated by the Air Force at $1.4 billion.

When I was stationed in Vietnam, the most-used plane was the B-52 simply because it is a long-range bomber; it can be refueled in mid-air. However, this "backbone" of the United States' air operations is a very special plane capable of much more than bombing.

The Air Force says the B-52 bomber "is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters). It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability."

Further, the AP reports that two B-52s can scout 140,000 square miles.

Introduced in 1954, the plane has been upgraded throughout, keeping it the centerpiece of America's aviation capability.

Having said all of that, I recall lying in my "hooch" in Vietnam hearing the bombers and the jets warming up for hours at a time. It was hard to believe that so much power was capable of so much "specific attacks."

In the meantime, as the AP reports, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and a local fire department continue an aerial and ocean search for the missing crew members in and around large area of massive debris and large oil slick.

References:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hDy8g30_38djxH2SDPj8FQm-2h2wD92267CO1
http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=83