Reporter-News Archives

Thursday, February 19, 1998

Dyess still has impressive safety record

By ROY A. JONES II. / Abilene Reporter-News

Crashes make the headlines, but considering the millions of hours logged by its crews, Dyess Air Force Base still has one of the most impressive safety records in the Air Force.

At one time, Dyess went 30 years without a fatal crash in the area -- a record unheard of in the military.

The amazing record began after Nov. 4, 1958, when a B-47 bomber crashed on takeoff, killing one, and ended Jan. 31, 1989, in what still ranks as Abilene's worst aviation disaster, although it involved no Dyess personnel or equipment.

A Michigan-based, KC-135 tanker, which had landed here for refueling and crew rest, crashed off the south end of the runway on takeoff and exploded, killing all 19 people aboard.

Wednesday's crash of a Dyess B-1B in Kentucky marked the fourth since the bomber was assigned to Dyess in 1985 as America's first new strategic bomber in more than 25 years.

Fortunately, Wednesday's crash also was the second in which all four crewmen ejected safely.

The only other non-fatal crash of a B-1 occurred on Nov. 8, 1988 -- Presidential Election Day. Crewmen noticed a fire in one wing during a training mission and tried to return to Dyess and land, but had to "ditch" the plane about three miles north of Tye. All four crewmen ejected safely.

A total of seven Dyess-based crewmen have been killed in the other two B-1 disasters.

The program was only two years old when a Dyess B-1 with six people on board struck a large bird and crashed in southeastern Colorado on Sept. 28, 1987. Three crewmen were killed and three parachuted to safety.

Two of the fatalities were instructors sitting in "jump" seats, meaning they would have to manually parachute from the aircraft in an emergency. The bird strike occurred at about 600 mph and only 600 feet altitude, so there was no time for them to get out. One crewman in an ejection seat also failed to get out.

From then on, the Air Force has allowed only four crewmen in a B-1 -- each one in an ejection seat designed to fire the occupant clear of the aircraft in the event of an emergency. The seats apparently worked perfectly again Wednesday.

The last fatal B-1 crash involving a Dyess aircraft occurred on Nov. 30, 1992, when a B-1 on a low-level, night training mission slammed into a mountain peak near Valentine in far West Texas, killing all four crew members instantly.

Last September, a B-1 being flown by an Ellsworth, S.D., crew that had trained at Dyess crashed in Montana, killing all four aboard.

Since Dyess opened in 1956 there have been 12 fatal crashes involving Dyess aircraft -- seven C-130 transport planes and five bombers. Those crashes, in reverse order of occurrence:

n Aug. 17, 1996, -- A Dyess C-130 carrying gear for President Clinton crashed on takeoff from Jackson Hole, Wyo., killing eight crewmen from the 39th and 40th Airlift Squadrons and one Secret Service agent.

n Nov. 30, 1992, -- A B-1 crashed near Valentine, Texas, killing all four crew members.

Aug. 9, 1989, -- A C-130 from the 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron crashed at Fort Bragg, N.C., killing one of seven Dyess crew members.

n Sept. 28, 1987, -- A Dyess B-1B struck a large bird and crashed in southeastern Colorado. Three crew members were killed and three parachuted to safety.

n June 28, 1983, -- A C-130 from the 773rd Tactical Airlift Squadron crashed and burned at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas, Nev., killing five Dyess crew members and one other man.

n April 13, 1982, -- A C-130 Hercules from the 774th Tactical Airlift Squadron crashed in Turkey, killing nine Dyess crewmen and 18 passengers.

n Sept. 21, 1981, -- A C-130 from the 773rd Tactical Airlift Squadron crashed in the Nevada desert on a special night mission. The Dyess crew escaped injury, but seven Army personnel in the plane were killed.

n March 14, 1980, -- A C-130 from the 773rd Tactical Airlift Squadron went down near Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, killing six Dyess crewmen and 12 passengers. Lighting was blamed.

n Oct. 12, 1966, -- A C-130 from the 516th Troop Carrier Wing, forerunner of the 463rd, crashed north of Aspermont, killing five and injuring one. It was the wing's first fatal crash since it was formed in 1958.

n July 24, 1962, -- A Dyess-based B-47 bomber crashed in Montana, killing four.

n Nov. 4, 1958, -- A Dyess B-47 crashed on takeoff from Dyess, killing one.

n July 17, 1957, -- A Dyess B-47 crashed on takeoff from Dyess and toppled into Little Elm Creek, killing four.