13. Two nuclear bombs crash landed in Kentucky in 1959
On October 15, 1959, two USAF B-52F Stratofortress bombers took off from Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi at 14:00. As part of their mission both planes were to undergo mid-air refueling by a partner KC-135 aircraft. After successful rendezvous over Hardinsberg, Kentucky, at approximately 5:33pm the second B-52, carrying two nuclear weapons, and a KC-135 begun their refueling maneuvers. Despite clear weather and limited turbulence, shortly after beginning the refueling process the two aircraft collided at approximately 32,000 feet.
The instructor pilot, followed by the electronic warfare officer and radar navigator of the B-52 ejected, but did not survive their descents, whilst the tail gunner failed to eject in time. Concurrently all four crew members of KC-135 were killed prior to ejection. Despite the collision and crash, with one nuclear weapon being partially burned by these events, neither device detonated or exploded and were recovered intact from the crash site without dispersion of nuclear materials or contamination of the local area.