1960s List of military nuclear accidents

sl-1 reactor being removed national reactor testing station.



january 3, 1961 – national reactor testing station, idaho, usa – accidental criticality, steam explosion, 3 fatalities, release of fission products

during maintenance shutdown, sl-1 experimental nuclear reactor underwent prompt critical reaction causing core materials explosively vaporize. water hammer estimated @ 10,000 pounds per square inch (69,000 kpa) struck top of reactor vessel propelling entire reactor vessel upwards on 9 feet (2.7 m) in air. 1 operator had been standing on top of vessel killed when shield plug impaled him , lodged in ceiling. 2 other military personnel killed trauma of explosion, 1 of had removed central control rod far. plant had dismantled , contamination buried permanently nearby. of release of radioactive materials concentrated within reactor building.









january 24, 1961 – goldsboro b-52 crash – physical destruction of nuclear bomb, loss of nuclear materials

a usaf b-52 bomber caught fire , exploded in midair due major leak in wing fuel cell 12 miles (19 km) north of seymour johnson air force base, north carolina. 5 crewmen parachuted safety, 3 others died—two in aircraft , 1 on landing. incident released bomber s 2 mark 39 hydrogen bombs. 3 of 4 arming devices on 1 of bombs activated, causing carry out many of steps needed arm itself, such charging of firing capacitors and, critically, deployment of 100-foot (30 m) diameter retardation parachute. parachute allowed bomb hit ground little damage. fourth arming device—the pilot s safe/arm switch—was not activated, preventing detonation. second bomb plunged muddy field @ around 700 mph (300 m/s) , disintegrated. tail discovered 20 feet (6 m) down , of bomb recovered, including tritium bottle , plutonium. however, excavation abandoned due uncontrollable ground water flooding. of thermonuclear stage, containing uranium, left on site. estimated lie around 55 feet (17 m) below ground. air force purchased land , fenced off prevent disturbance, , tested regularly contamination, although none has far been found.


march 14, 1961 – 1961 yuba city b-52 crash

usaf b-52 bomber departed mather air force base, california , experienced decompression event required fly below 10,000 feet. resulting increased fuel consumption led fuel exhaustion; aircraft crashed near yuba city, california 2 nuclear bombs, did not trigger nuclear explosion.


july 4, 1961 – coast of norway – near meltdown

the soviet hotel-class submarine k-19 suffered failure in cooling system. reactor core temperatures reached 800 °c (1,500 °f), enough melt fuel rods, although crew able regain temperature control using emergency procedures. incident contaminated parts of ship, of onboard ballistic missiles , crew, resulting in several fatalities. film k-19: widowmaker, starring harrison ford , liam neeson, offers controversially fictionalized story of these events.


may 1, 1962 – sahara desert, french algeria (now algeria) – accidental venting of underground nuclear test

the second french underground nuclear test, codenamed béryl, took place in shaft under mount taourirt, near in ecker, 150 km (100 mi) north of tamanrasset, algerian sahara. due improper sealing of shaft, spectacular flame burst through concrete cap , radioactive gases , dust vented atmosphere. plume climbed 2600 m (8500 ft) high , radiation detected hundreds of kilometers away. hundred soldiers , officials, including 2 ministers, irradiated. number of contaminated algerians unknown.


may 22, 1962 – chico, california, usa – explosion of titan icbm in silo in chico, california.

titan icbm explodes in silo in chico, california. during contractor checkout, leak , subsequent explosion occurred @ launcher 1 @ complex 4c @ chico, destroying titan , causing heavy damage silo. air force concluded 2 separate explosions occurred because of blocked vent , blocked valve. contractors , crew of silo escaped unharmed.


april 10, 1963 – loss of nuclear reactor

submarine uss thresher sinks 190 nmi (220 mi; 350 km) east of cape cod, massachusetts due improper welds allowing in seawater forced shutdown of reactor. poor design of emergency blow system prevented ship surfacing , disabled ship descended crush depth , imploded, killing 129 on board.


january 13, 1964 – salisbury, pennsylvania , frostburg, maryland, usa – accidental loss , recovery of thermonuclear bombs

a usaf b-52 on airborne alert duty encountered severe winter storm , extreme turbulence, disintegrating in midair on south central pennsylvania. 2 pilots survived. 1 crew member failed bail out , rest succumbed injuries or exposure harsh winter weather. search missing weapons initiated, , recovery effected portions of wreckage @ farm northwest of frostburg, md.


5 december 1964 – ellsworth afb, south dakota, minuteman icbm missile warhead separation

warhead separated in launch tube due electrical short circuit , fell bottom of tube. @ launch facility lima-02 near vale, south dakota. missile site part of former 44th missile wing @ ellsworth afb, south dakota.


8 december 1964 – bunker hill air force base, indiana, usa – fire, radioactive contamination

usaf b-58 aircraft carrying nuclear weapon caught fire while taxiing. nuclear weapon burned, causing contamination of crash area.


january 1965 – livermore, california, usa – release of nuclear materials

an accident @ lawrence livermore national laboratory released 300 kci (11 pbq) of tritium gas. subsequent study found release not produce adverse health effects in surrounding communities.


february 1965 – lenin, soviet nuclear icebreaker, suffered loss-of-coolant accident. after being shut down refueling, coolant removed number 2 reactor before spent fuel had been removed. result, of fuel elements melted , deformed inside reactor. discovered when spent elements being unloaded storage , disposal. 124 fuel assemblies (about 60% of total) stuck in reactor core. decided remove fuel, control grid, , control rods unit disposal; placed in special cask, solidified, stored 2 years, , dumped in tsivolki bay, in novaya zemlya archipelago, in 1967.
11 october 1965 – rocky flats plant, golden, colorado, usa – fire, exposure of workers

a fire @ rocky flats exposed crew of 25 17 times legal limit radiation.


december 5, 1965 – 1965 philippine sea a-4 incident – loss of nuclear bomb

a u.s. navy a-4e skyhawk aircraft 1 b43 nuclear bomb on board fell off aircraft carrier ticonderoga 16,200 feet (4,900 m) of water while ship underway vietnam yokosuka, japan. plane, pilot , weapon never recovered. there dispute on incident took place—the u.s. defense department stated took place 500 miles (800 km) off coast of japan, navy documents later show happened 80 miles (130 km) ryukyu islands , 200 miles (320 km) okinawa.


january 17, 1966 – palomares incident – accidental destruction, loss , recovery of nuclear bombs

a usaf b-52 carrying 4 hydrogen bombs collided usaf kc-135 jet tanker during over-ocean in-flight refueling. 4 of b-52 s 7 crew members parachuted safety while remaining 3 killed along 4 of kc-135 s crew. conventional explosives in 2 of bombs detonated upon impact ground, dispersing plutonium on nearby farms. third bomb landed intact near palomares while fourth fell 12 miles (19 km) off coast mediterranean sea. u.s. navy conducted three-month search involving 12,000 men , recovered fourth bomb. u.s. navy employed use of deep-diving research submarine dsv alvin aid in recovery efforts. during ensuing cleanup, 1,500 tonnes (1,700 short tons) of radioactive soil , tomato plants shipped nuclear dump in aiken, south carolina. u.s. settled claims 522 palomares residents $600,000. town received $200,000 desalinization plant. motion picture men of honor (2000), starring cuba gooding, jr., usn diver, master chief petty officer carl brashear, , robert de niro usn diver, chief petty officer billy sunday, contained account of fourth bomb s recovery.


1967 – lenin, soviet nuclear icebreaker, suffered second accident; cooling system leak occurred in 1967, shortly after refueling. finding leak required breaking through concrete , metal biological shield sledgehammers. once leak found, became apparent sledgehammer damage not repaired; subsequently, 3 reactors removed, , replaced 2 ok-900 reactors, 1970.
january 21, 1968 – 1968 thule air base b-52 crash, greenland – loss , partial recovery of nuclear bombs

a fire broke out in navigator s compartment of usaf b-52 near thule air base, greenland. bomber crashed 7 miles (11 km) air base, rupturing nuclear payload of 4 hydrogen bombs. recovery , decontamination effort complicated greenland s harsh weather. contaminated ice , debris buried in united states. bomb fragments recycled pantex, in amarillo, texas. incident caused outrage , protests in denmark, greenland danish possession , denmark forbade nuclear weapons on territory.


may 22, 1968 – 740 km (400 nmi) southwest of azores – loss of nuclear reactor , 2 w34 nuclear warheads

the u.s. submarine uss scorpion (ssn-589) sank while en route rota, spain, norfolk, virginia, usa. cause of sinking remains unknown; 99 officers , men on board killed. wreckage of submarine, s5w nuclear reactor, , 2 mark 45 torpedoes w34 nuclear warheads, remain on sea floor in more 3,000 m (9,800 ft) of water.


may 24, 1968 – location unknown – loss of cooling, radioactive contamination, nuclear fuel damaged

during sea trials, soviet nuclear submarine k-27 (project 645) suffered severe problems reactor cooling systems. after spending time @ reduced power, reactor output inexplicably dropped , sensors detected increase of gamma radiation in reactor compartment 150 rad/h. safety buffer tank released radioactive gases further contaminating submarine. crew shut reactor down , subsequent investigation found approximately 20% of fuel assemblies damaged. entire submarine scuttled in kara sea in 1981.


august 27, 1968 – severodvinsk, russia (then ussr) – reactor power excursion, contamination

while in naval yards @ severodvinsk repairs, soviet yankee-class nuclear submarine k-140 suffered uncontrolled increase of reactor s power output. 1 of reactors activated automatically when workers raised control rods higher position , power increased 18 times normal, while pressure , temperature levels in reactor increased 4 times normal. accident increased radiation levels aboard vessel. problem traced incorrect installation of control rod electrical cables.


may 11, 1969 – rocky flats plant, golden, colorado, usa – plutonium fire, contamination

an accident in 5 kilograms of plutonium burnt inside glovebox @ rocky flats. cleanup took 2 years , costliest industrial accident ever occur in united states @ time.






^ cite error: named reference globalsecurity invoked never defined (see page).
^ gambardello, joseph a. (1 june 2000). plutonium spill neither gone nor forgotten, 40 years later . philadelphia inquirer. philadelphia. p. a01. 
^ k-8 submarine reactor accident, 1960 . database of radiological incidents , related events – johnston s archive. 2004-06-10. retrieved 2007-06-17. 
^ broken arrow: goldsboro, nc . 2000-12-04. retrieved 2007-06-17. 
^ titan @ beale afb, california . 
^ cold war mission ended in tragedy b-52 crew . 
^ http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/article_92b6722d-9cd5-5551-8831-f61964da70b2.html
^ hr lease (march 1986). dod mishaps (pdf). armed forces radiobiology research institute. archived original (pdf) on 2008-12-18. retrieved 2008-12-04. 
^ atsdr – health consultation – lawrence livermore national laboratory (u.s. doe), livermore, alameda county, california . atsdr.cdc.gov. 2009-11-30. retrieved 2010-01-27. 
^ cnn (1998). cold war: broken arrows (1960e) . cnn.com. archived original on 2007-03-27. retrieved 2007-06-17. 
^ archived copy . archived original on 2008-09-14. retrieved 2008-09-13. 
^ nuclear icebreaker lenin . russian nuclear icebreaker fleet. www.bellona.org. archived original on 2007-10-15. retrieved 2013-03-07. 
^ snider, laura (2009-05-10). looking on mother s day fire @ rocky flats . boulder & county news. boulder daily camera. archived original on may 12, 2009. retrieved 2009-07-26. on mother s day in 1969... worst industrial conflagration country had ever seen... when building 776–777 on rocky flats campus 8 miles south of boulder caught fire... 
^ greenlee, robert (2008-04-24). rocky flats colorado nuclear weapons production facility 1952–1988 (pdf). me 360l – mechanical engineering design iii. university of new mexico. archived original (pdf) on september 29, 2012. retrieved 2009-07-26. 1969 fire ... * costly industrial accident in * 2 years clean up 
^ moore, leroy (january 2006). guilt or innocence @ rocky flats (pdf). nuclear nexus » local hazards » rocky flats. rocky mountain peace , justice center. archived original (pdf) on august 21, 2008. retrieved 2009-07-26. fire @ rocky flats on mother s day, may 11, 1969, turned out worst industrial fire date in history.