I normally don’t jump into forums, but by coincidence I’m a freelance military photojournalist with a particular interest in the B-52. I’m actually co-authoring a title on the subject – actually my second. During my research I’ve read about the B-52/HARM mystery.

I’ve had numerous B-52 acquaintances who have advised me that it wasn’t a HARM that impacted the B-52G, 58-0248. And coincidently, I had cause to interview Col. George “John Boy” Walton (Ret) for a project titled “Iron Hand” a few years back. Col. Walton was the commander of the 561st TFS(P), which provided SEAD in F-4Gs during Desert Storm. Col. Walton informed me that no HARM was launched against a B-52 on the night in question.

And by way of FOIA, I recently acquired a volume of the SAC 1991 History which covered Desert Storm in detail – some 900 pages were declassified. And while the B-52/HARM incident is just briefly mentioned, the document attributes a SAM as the probable cause.

Bob Deasy and I have a mutual friend who offered to introduce us sometime ago, and I may have to take my friend up on his offer!

Anyhow, I just thought I’d add this insight to the discussion.

Sincerely,

Tony

Thanks,

Michael Badillo,
RavenRux@COX.NET

I was also in the 4300 PBW on the Rock when that happened. I remembered the patch, because the “dragon” looked like an armadillo with bomber wings and we called it a “Bombadillo.” This was especially funny to some of my friends because my last anme is Badillo and is similar to Tom Bombadil from “Lord of the Rings.”

I don’t remember where the aircraft was from.

Thanks for the blast from the past,

Michael Badillo
USAF, but not anymore

Before working on BUFF’s on Guam, I was stationed in the Philippines where I worked on the F-4G and the Wild Weasel system. The FCS would have been identified as an Unknown AAA site unless the threat library software was updated right before the war. It very well may have, but I would have thought this whole accident wouldn’t have happened if that had been the case.

Thanks again for the info and sorry that I passed on false information about your crew member. It was not intentional.

I was the Radar Navigator on this aircraft on this mission. A/C was Linwood Mason, CP was Lance Press, EW was Red Urband, Nav was Joe Mitchell and the Gunner was TSGT Zack Peters, probably the finest Gunner I ever met, a pro and an instructor…and he did not lock up the weasel.

You need to check SAC TAC Doctrine (classified) for similarities between B-52 FCS Radars and Soviet Threat Radars to find out why the weasel was so interested in us. The missile did remove everything aft of the vertical stab…all the schrapnel holes went through the top and out the bottom of the horizontal stab…the fuselage was “beer canned” on the bottom where there is a natural break in the fuselage line on the bottom. We never contemplated “jettisoning the FCS because we knew from visual inspection from our #2 that it was already gone. The drag chute did deploy in flight at 400′ and 400kts…but was instantly streamered due to high airspeed…It was drug all the way back to landing…There was no flyby at DG because the A/C was first recovered into Jedda, Saudi Arabia, where it was prepped for ferry to DG. Crew recovered to DG via KC-10 3 days later and rejoined the combat rotation. The reason the Guns came off the Buff had nothing to do with this incident…rather…it was a way to save $$$ because the threat of enemy fighters to the B-52 was no longer deemed viable given advances in C4ISR and operational tactics. Maintenace crews did do an amazing job of restoring life to this airframe…it went on to win best bomber team at “Gunsmoke” 2 years later and was flown by myself and others to Davis Monthan for final ‘disposition’…Hope this sets some things straight.

Bob D.

Ace

42 FMS
93 FMS

After knowing what I knew then, I guess they saw that the whole aft section was completely blown off. And jettisoning the turret was not necessary.

I had no Idea that I would actually work on the aircraft a couple months down the line and bring it back into service. That is, after they pieced together the wiring and the aft section.

This should make for some interesting discussions.

Inky
320FMS
43AMS
93OMS