User talk:165.29.33.126

I had a copy of a publication (sorry, can't remember the number) that contained a list of all nuclear incidents and accidents by the US military through the late 1960s. It contained descriptions of each indecent/accident. It had this to say about the Goldsboro accident:

The Mk 39s firing sequence was as follows: 1. An arming control in the airplane sent a coded signal to the bomb to rotate an internal Mode switch to the desired "Arm" position. This ignited the thermal battery and charged the capacitors in the firing set. It also selected the drop mode (air burst, height, ground burst, etc.). I think this would also be the time the Tritium booster charge was introduced into the pit. 2. The bomb was dropped from the airplane, starting an internal timer. 3. Depending on the drop mode the timing mechanism deployed various parachutes to retard the fall of the bomb to allow the dropping aircraft to open the distance from the explosion. 4. After a set time the radar proximity fuze was activated. This delay ensured that the bomb was far enough from the airplane that it didn't detect the plane and explode prematurely. 5. When the proximity fuze detected the proper altitude for the drop mode it sent the firing signal to the firing unit, detonating the nuclear primary.

The arming control box in the airplane, a Safe/Arm switch in the bomb, the Mode switch, and the timer constituted four safing mechanisms to prevent accidental or unauthorized detonation.



The bombs were attached to weapons carriers in the aircraft.

A small 1/16" thick bakelite tab was inserted into a slot in the top of the bomb when the bomb was assembled. This insulating tab separated the contacts in a Safe/Arm switch in the firing circuit. This is the "simple low voltage switch" referred to in several articles. It was in series with the signals from the other firing systems that would detonate the bomb.

This tab was connected to a wire lanyard that was attached to the weapons carrier when the bomb/carrier were assembled. Normlly, when the bomb was dropped the weapons carrier, lanyard and bakelite tab remained with the airplane. As the tab pulled out of the bomb the Safe/Arm switch contacts closed to complete the circuit that allowed the firing signal to go to the firing circuits, thereby allowing the normal firing procedure to proceed.



In the Goldsboro accident two bombs fell from the airplane as it disintegrated.

Bomb A fell free from the plane and weapons carrier, pulling out the bakelite tab, allowing the Safe/Arm switch to close. However, since it had not been activated by the control box in the airplane the thermal battery remained inactive and the timer did not start. Parachutes were not deployed and the radar proximity fuze was not activated. If fell to ground and buried itself in muddy soil.

Bomb B broke away from the B-52 with the weapons carrier still attached. But before it separated it received an arming signal from the airplane's arming control box. The thermal battery activated and the firing circuits were charged. The timer started and parachutes were deployed. After the time interval the proximity switch was activated. It detected the ground and sent the firing signal to the firing unit. But because the bakelite tab was still in the Safe/Arm switch nothing happened.

It was random chance that decided which bomb would fall free from the weapons carrier. If Bomb A had retained the weapons carrier and Bomb B had fallen free there would have been a low altitude 3.8 megaton thermonuclear explosion in a populated area of North Carolina and significant fallout.

Some of the descriptions of this accident seem to confuse the events of the two bombs, with some only describing one bomb.

https://www.okieboat.com/Talos%20W30.html

https://www.okieboat.com/How%20nuclear%20weapons%20work.html

https://www.okieboat.com/Contact%20page.html

Prhays (talk) 07:07, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

February 2020
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