Today in History! (actually Wednesday, but I forgot to post it)

Tybee Bomb is lost by the US Air Force, February 5, 1958



"A 7,600-pound Mark 15 hydrogen bomb was lost in the waters off Tybee Island near Savannah, GA, on February 5, 1958, by the US Air Force. (See photo to right of a similar Mark 15 bomb)

The Air Force had been running practice exercises at about 2 AM that morning when the B-47 bomber carrying the bomb collided in midair with an F-86 fighter plane.

The F-86 pilot ejected before the collision but the B-47 remained airborne. Struggling, the pilot requested permission to jettison the bomb to reduce weight and prevent the bomb from exploding during an emergency landing.

Permission was granted and the bomb was jettisoned at 7,200 feet while the bomber was traveling about 200 knots. When the bomb struck the sea, no explosion was seen. The B-47 safely landed at the nearby Hunter Air Force Base."

The rest of the story by Suzanne Deffree of Engineer Design News at:
http://edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4406367/Tybee-Bomb-is-lost-by-the-US-Air-Force--February-5--1958?cid=nl_edn&elq=a09a82568e1746dd8f9e76190b9cd93c&elqCampaignId=15150