1966 Palomares incident
| Collision | |
|---|---|
| Date | 17 January 1966 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision |
| Site | near Palomares, Almería, Spain 37°14′57″N 1°47′49″W / 37.24917°N 1.79694°W |
| Total fatalities | 7 |
| Total survivors | 4 |
| First aircraft | |
| 58-0192, an aircraft similar to the B-52 involved | |
| Type | Boeing B-52G Stratofortress |
| Operator | Strategic Air Command, United States Air Force |
| Registration | 58-0256 |
| Flight origin | Seymour Johnson Air Force Base North Carolina, United States |
| Destination | Seymour Johnson Air Force Base |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Survivors | 4 |
| Second aircraft | |
| 56-3595, an aircraft similar to the second aircraft involved | |
| Type | KC-135 Stratotanker |
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Registration | 61-0273 |
| Flight origin | Morón Air Base, Spain |
| Destination | Morón Air Base |
| Occupants | 4 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The Palomares incident occurred on 17 January 1966, when a United States Air Force B-52G bomber collided with a KC-135 tanker during mid-air refueling at 31,000 feet (9,450 m) over the Mediterranean Sea, near the Spanish village of Palomares in Almería province. The collision destroyed the tanker, killing all four crew members, and caused the bomber to break apart, resulting in the deaths of three of its seven crew members. The B-52G was participating in Operation Chrome Dome, a Cold War airborne alert mission involving continuous flights of nuclear-armed bombers.
At the time of the accident, the B-52G was carrying four B28FI Mod 2 Y1 thermonuclear bombs. Three of these bombs fell on land near Palomares; the conventional explosives in two detonated upon impact, dispersing plutonium and contaminating approximately 2 square kilometers (0.77 sq mi) of terrain. The fourth bomb fell into the Mediterranean Sea and was recovered intact after an extensive 80-day search involving the U.S. Navy, including the use of submersibles such as DSV Alvin. A local fisherman, Francisco Simó Orts, witnessed the bomb's descent into the sea and assisted in its recovery.
In response to the contamination, the U.S. and Spanish authorities conducted cleanup operations, removing approximately 1,750 tons of radioactive soil, which was shipped to the United States for disposal. Despite these efforts, residual contamination persisted, leading to ongoing monitoring and a 2015 agreement between Spain and the U.S. to further remediate the area. As of 2025, some contaminated land remains, and the cleanup has not been fully completed.
Politically, the incident prompted Spain to ban U.S. flights carrying nuclear weapons over its territory. The Palomares incident, along with a similar accident in Thule, Greenland, in 1968, contributed to the termination of Operation Chrome Dome. Despite its significance, the town of Palomares has no official monument commemorating the event, although a street named "17 January 1966" serves as a reminder.