Want to Dive..Looking for a Nuclear Bomb

[Big John]

If you want to get that close to a missing nuclear warhead without diving, welcome to eastern NC where you can stand on the exact spot a nuclear device rained down to earth and IS STILL THERE.

January 24, 1961. A B-52 carrying two 24-megaton nuclear bombs crashed while taking off from an airbase in Goldsboro, North Carolina. One of the weapons sank in swampy farmland, and its uranium core was never found despite intensive search efforts to a depth of 50 feet. To ensure no one else could recover the weapon, the USAF bought a permanent easement requiring government permission to dig on the land.

Forget looking where one might be, I'll show you where one is.

 

[Lopaka]

If I understand my nukes a bit (and I admit freely I have only a vague understanding of how they work), a nuclear weapon detonation is a multi-part event that includes detonating a large chunk of explosives that causes the nuclear detonation.

You got it right. The conventional explosives are also rather energetic in the older weapons to get max yield. There have been incidents of a crash setting them off, and the scattering of radioactive debris. Newer weapons use a less sensitive conventional explosive to make them less prone to detonation during a crash.

The danger of the old weapon is the radioactive materials being scattered by the old, touchy conventional trigger, not a full yield nuke explosion.............

 

[davros]

My bet is the Ruskies got to this thing a long time ago.

Well if they didn't, perhaps the CIA et al should stop looking for Arabs taking flying lessons, and should be on the look out for Arabs taking OW. :blinking:

Was that an inappropriate thing to say??

 

[ba_hiker]

Over the years i have heard several reports on this.

Air force and navy searched extensively and didn't find it. Used all kinds of (at the time) high tech stuff to look for it. Ten (or so) years ago there was another search, using newer stuff and trajectory prediction software. No joy.

The best guess is that it is in 50-100ft of mud.

 

[muddiver]

You got it right. The conventional explosives are also rather energetic in the older weapons to get max yield. There have been incidents of a crash setting them off, and the scattering of radioactive debris. Newer weapons use a less sensitive conventional explosive to make them less prone to detonation during a crash.

The danger of the old weapon is the radioactive materials being scattered by the old, touchy conventional trigger, not a full yield nuke explosion.............

If dropped from enough altitude, it might have exploded on impact with the water. That would explain why a large metal object can't be found.

 

[james croft]

The statement says it was "safe" to dump it as not to crash land with and create a massive explosion. But in the same statement it says it lacks the plutonium trigger? So why dump it in the first place if it lacked a sufficient detonation trigger?

To lighten the aircraft to make it safer to fly and land.

 

[The Kraken]

If dropped from enough altitude, it might have exploded on impact with the water. That would explain why a large metal object can't be found.

I think the residents of Tybee Island and Savannah would have noticed a nuclear explosion, don't you?

the K

 

[Doc]

I think the residents of Tybee Island and Savannah would have noticed a nuclear explosion, don't you?

Well, the haven't noticed Miley Cyrus yet.

 

[The Kraken]

Some things/people don't warrant noticing . . . . :biggrin:

the K

 

[muddiver]

I think the residents of Tybee Island and Savannah would have noticed a nuclear explosion, don't you?

the K

Unless a nuke weapon is armed it will not detonate. But, the conventional expolsive within the weapon can still explode, especially on high impact or in a fire situation. Been ther, done that, have the tee shirt (USMC Crash Rescue).