272:"), which is the key component for a nuclear reaction and detonation, was not installed in the bomb at the time. The absence of the core probably was because of its high cost and relative scarcity at the time. Standard US Air Force protocol prohibited any aircraft carrying a nuclear device to land with the device if the aircraft was experiencing engine problems — it had to be jettisoned. Per standard protocol, the plutonium trigger was always removed prior to flight and shipped separately to prevent accidental nuclear activation. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was returning from Goose Bay AFB to
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at the time, and explained away as 500-pound (230 kg) military practice bombs being detonated. It was not until the 1980s that the Air Force confirmed it had been a
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had engine trouble and jettisoned the weapon at 10,500 feet (3,200 m). The crew set the bomb to
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252:. The non-nuclear explosion shook area residents and scattered nearly 100 pounds (45 kg) of
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Three B-50A bombers in formation; similar to the B-50 that dropped the bomb at Rivière-du-Loup
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Accidents and incidents involving United States Air Force aircraft
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Norris, Robert S.; Arkin, William M.; Burr, William (1999).
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Aviation accidents and incidents involving nuclear weapons
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at 2,500 ft (760 m), and released it over the
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1950 Rivière-du-Loup B-50 nuclear weapon loss incident
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1950 Rivière-du-Loup B-50 nuclear weapon loss incident
276:. The troubled aircraft successfully diverted to
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436:Aviation accidents and incidents in Canada
324:. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart.
441:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1950
352:Lost Nuke: The Last Flight of Bomber 075
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212:refers to loss of a nuclear weapon near
456:Canada–United States military relations
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301:List of military nuclear accidents
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384:Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
354:. Victoria, BC: Heritage House.
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471:November 1950 events in Canada
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421:Non-combat military accidents
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283:The incident was immediately
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274:Davis–Monthan Air Force Base
232:Returning one of several US
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44:November 10, 1950
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242:Boeing B-50 Superfortress
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466:1950 disasters in Canada
260:) used in the weapon's
128:United States Air Force
320:Mowat, Farley (2010).
350:Septer, Dirk (2012).
278:Loring Air Force Base
236:secretly deployed at
93:47.93500°N 69.42083°W
240:in Labrador, a USAF
234:Mark 4 nuclear bombs
98:47.93500; -69.42083
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250:St. Lawrence River
114:Aircraft type
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396:10.2968/055006011
377:"Where they were"
331:978-0-7710-6491-3
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390:(6): 26–35.
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254:radioactive
144:Destination
96: /
410:Categories
307:References
285:covered up
280:in Maine.
228:Background
175:Fatalities
159:Passengers
152:Loring AFB
84:69°25′15″W
48:1950-11-10
266:plutonium
256:uranium (
199:Survivors
138:Goose AFB
81:47°56′6″N
295:See also
183:Injuries
124:Operator
109:Aircraft
64:Montreal
36:Incident
268:core ("
191:Missing
46: (
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264:. The
262:tamper
222:Canada
218:Quebec
72:Canada
68:Quebec
380:(PDF)
258:U-238
356:ISBN
326:ISBN
208:The
167:Crew
56:Site
41:Date
392:doi
270:pit
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388:55
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340:^
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