☢️ 1966 Palomares Incident
Cold War nuclear accident and recovery site
📌 Fast Facts
- B-52G Stratofortress collided with KC-135 tanker on January 17, 1966, at 31,000 feet
- Four Mark 28 thermonuclear bombs released; no nuclear detonation occurred
- Plutonium dispersed across approximately 2.6 square kilometers of farmland
- Fourth bomb recovered from Mediterranean Sea at 777 meters depth after 80-day search
On January 17, 1966, a United States Air Force B-52G Stratofortress collided with a KC-135 aerial refueling tanker during a routine mid-air refueling operation over the coastal village of Palomares in southeastern Spain. The B-52G was carrying four Mark 28 thermonuclear bombs, making the accident one of the most serious nuclear weapons incidents of the Cold War. All four bombs were released unintentionally as the bomber disintegrated, though no nuclear detonation occurred ...