7 ms·

This is no broken arrow [1] - the core was full of lead, not plutonium. [1] An accidental event that involves nuclear weapons or nuclear components but does not

This is no broken arrow [1] - the core was full of lead, not plutonium. [1] An accidental event that involves nuclear weapons or nuclear components but does not create the risk of nuclear war.

pvg 10y ago
This incident shows up on all lists of BROKEN ARROW incidents. A more complete description is "3.2.4. PINNACLE BROKEN ARROW (OPREP-3PBA). Used to report a U.S. nuclear weapon accident that does not create the risk of a nuclear war. Report any of the following as an OPREP-3PBA (T-0): 3.2.4.1. Nuclear detonation of a U.S. nuclear weapon 3.2.4.2. Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a U.S. nuclear weapon 3.2.4.3. Radioactive contamination from a U.S. nuclear weapon or component 3.2.4.4. Jettisoning of a U.S. nuclear weapon or component 3.2.4.5. Public hazard, actual or implied, from a U.S. nuclear weapon or component" Full doc is at: http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/afmc/publication/afi10-206_afmcsup/afi10-206_afmcsup.pdf http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/afmc/publicat...
- sdrothrock 10y ago
  Interesting, I guess this particular incident falls under > 3.2.4.4. Jettisoning of a U.S. nuclear weapon or component and possibly > 3.2.4.5. Public hazard, actual or implied, from a U.S. nuclear weapon or component with the emphasis being on "or component." I wonder how "component" is defined.
- sandworm101 10y ago
  I'd check your source, but they don't like my VPN. >>Access Denied You don't have permission to access "http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/afmc/publication/afi10-206_afmcsup/afi10-206_afmcsup.pdf" http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/afmc/publicat... on this server.
sandworm101 10y ago
The entire incident was a broken arrow incident. The entire weapon was lost, core included. The core is generally believed to have been found in the aircraft wreckage on land, albeit many years later. The bomb, sans core, is still a considered a nuclear device in that anyone finding it could easily use it to advance their own nuke programs. Had these objects landed anywhere other than one of the most rugged places in all Canada, armies would have descended to retrieve every scrap.
astrodust 10y ago
A "Broken Arrow" is the loss of control a functional nuclear weapon. Being misplaced also counts as a "Broken Arrow" incident, as was the case with some nuclear missiles being lost in transit only to be found a few days later at the wrong base. They were mistakenly kept loaded on an aircraft. There's actually a shocking number of these weapons that are completely unaccounted for. They're presumed to be at the bottom of the ocean. During the 1960s the US had this completely insane program whereby bombers would be in the air at all times with fully operable nuclear weapons. Not surprisingly there was a number of malfunctions on these aircraft that lead to atomic payloads being dumped so the crew could safely land, though I honestly have no idea where a "safe" spot to ditch a thermonuclear weapon is, armed or not.
- venomsnake 10y ago
  If it is not armed - almost any place that is not Donnie Darko's house is safe
  - HeyLaughingBoy 10y ago
    OK, I have to ask. This is one of my favorite movies but I still don't get the reference.
    - venomsnake 10y ago
      It was the only movie with dumb inert object falling in a bedroom I could think of. Unless there is breathing human underneath - almost any place is OK to drop unarmed nuke on. Those things are built brutally.
- sandworm101 10y ago
  I think that lost, but still under US control, ie 'lost in the system' is called a "bent spear".
  - tarpherder 10y ago
    How can you know where something is if it is lost?
madaxe_again 10y ago
The core was officially full of lead. You think they'd admit to anyone, let alone Russia, that a nuke lay on the seafloor? We already know what huge lengths both sides went to to salvage known marine tech wreckage from one another. Apparently Tybee island was also a dummy device. It later emerged that it was a full on bomb. Just saying that they had and continue to have every motive to say it's made of lead.
- na85 10y ago
  They'd tell the Canadian EOD team at the very least. The boys on the pointy end of the stick need to know what they're potentially disposing of.
- pvg 10y ago
  It's not entirely clear whether the cores were dummies in either case although it sounds plausible. When actual nukes were dropped as in the Goldsboro incident, the government didn't claim the devices weren't fully operational weapons, just misstated the risk of detonation.
- bb611 10y ago
  It didn't later emerge, it was reported by an Asst. SecDef who didn't consult the facts and has been completely disproven. The device was equipped with a simulated trigger and can't undergo nuclear detonation. The USAF has very little reason to protect this information, and these records have all been subject to extreme and intensive FOIA requests.
- Shivetya 10y ago
  If it were safe from retrieval I am pretty sure they would let someone know. Certainly other governments would be interested in insuring there was no leakage. Both the US and Russia have lost nuclear submarines and those are well known and even checked for issues by nearby nations. Now during the 50s and 60s all bets are off, but I doubt any weapon declared one way or another fully escaped attention for this long. You want a real scare, go read up on Operation CHASE which where they were dumping even chemical weapons into the sea

This is no broken arrow [1] - the core was full of lead, not plutonium. [1] An accidental event that involves nuclear weapons or nuclear components but does not create the risk of nuclear war.

pvg 10y ago

This incident shows up on all lists of BROKEN ARROW incidents. A more complete description is "3.2.4. PINNACLE BROKEN ARROW (OPREP-3PBA). Used to report a U.S. nuclear weapon accident that does not create the risk of a nuclear war. Report any of the following as an OPREP-3PBA (T-0): 3.2.4.1. Nuclear detonation of a U.S. nuclear weapon 3.2.4.2. Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a U.S. nuclear weapon 3.2.4.3. Radioactive contamination from a U.S. nuclear weapon or component 3.2.4.4. Jettisoning of a U.S. nuclear weapon or component 3.2.4.5. Public hazard, actual or implied, from a U.S. nuclear weapon or component" Full doc is at: http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/afmc/publication/afi10-206_afmcsup/afi10-206_afmcsup.pdf http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/afmc/publicat...

sdrothrock 10y ago
Interesting, I guess this particular incident falls under > 3.2.4.4. Jettisoning of a U.S. nuclear weapon or component and possibly > 3.2.4.5. Public hazard, actual or implied, from a U.S. nuclear weapon or component with the emphasis being on "or component." I wonder how "component" is defined.
sandworm101 10y ago
I'd check your source, but they don't like my VPN. >>Access Denied You don't have permission to access "http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/afmc/publication/afi10-206_afmcsup/afi10-206_afmcsup.pdf" http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/afmc/publicat... on this server.

sandworm101 10y ago

The entire incident was a broken arrow incident. The entire weapon was lost, core included. The core is generally believed to have been found in the aircraft wreckage on land, albeit many years later. The bomb, sans core, is still a considered a nuclear device in that anyone finding it could easily use it to advance their own nuke programs. Had these objects landed anywhere other than one of the most rugged places in all Canada, armies would have descended to retrieve every scrap.

astrodust 10y ago

A "Broken Arrow" is the loss of control a functional nuclear weapon. Being misplaced also counts as a "Broken Arrow" incident, as was the case with some nuclear missiles being lost in transit only to be found a few days later at the wrong base. They were mistakenly kept loaded on an aircraft. There's actually a shocking number of these weapons that are completely unaccounted for. They're presumed to be at the bottom of the ocean. During the 1960s the US had this completely insane program whereby bombers would be in the air at all times with fully operable nuclear weapons. Not surprisingly there was a number of malfunctions on these aircraft that lead to atomic payloads being dumped so the crew could safely land, though I honestly have no idea where a "safe" spot to ditch a thermonuclear weapon is, armed or not.

venomsnake 10y ago
If it is not armed - almost any place that is not Donnie Darko's house is safe
- HeyLaughingBoy 10y ago
  OK, I have to ask. This is one of my favorite movies but I still don't get the reference.
  - venomsnake 10y ago
    It was the only movie with dumb inert object falling in a bedroom I could think of. Unless there is breathing human underneath - almost any place is OK to drop unarmed nuke on. Those things are built brutally.
sandworm101 10y ago
I think that lost, but still under US control, ie 'lost in the system' is called a "bent spear".
- tarpherder 10y ago
  How can you know where something is if it is lost?

madaxe_again 10y ago

The core was officially full of lead. You think they'd admit to anyone, let alone Russia, that a nuke lay on the seafloor? We already know what huge lengths both sides went to to salvage known marine tech wreckage from one another. Apparently Tybee island was also a dummy device. It later emerged that it was a full on bomb. Just saying that they had and continue to have every motive to say it's made of lead.

na85 10y ago
They'd tell the Canadian EOD team at the very least. The boys on the pointy end of the stick need to know what they're potentially disposing of.
pvg 10y ago
It's not entirely clear whether the cores were dummies in either case although it sounds plausible. When actual nukes were dropped as in the Goldsboro incident, the government didn't claim the devices weren't fully operational weapons, just misstated the risk of detonation.
bb611 10y ago
It didn't later emerge, it was reported by an Asst. SecDef who didn't consult the facts and has been completely disproven. The device was equipped with a simulated trigger and can't undergo nuclear detonation. The USAF has very little reason to protect this information, and these records have all been subject to extreme and intensive FOIA requests.
Shivetya 10y ago
If it were safe from retrieval I am pretty sure they would let someone know. Certainly other governments would be interested in insuring there was no leakage. Both the US and Russia have lost nuclear submarines and those are well known and even checked for issues by nearby nations. Now during the 50s and 60s all bets are off, but I doubt any weapon declared one way or another fully escaped attention for this long. You want a real scare, go read up on Operation CHASE which where they were dumping even chemical weapons into the sea