1994 Fairchild Air Force Base B-52 crash

1994 Fairchild Air Force Base
B-52 crash

61-0026, callsign Czar 52, a fraction of a second before crashing. The copilot McGeehan's escape hatch, jettisoned during his attempt to eject, can be seen near the tip of the vertical stabilizer.
Accident
Date	24 June 1994
Summary	Pilot error, stall
Site	Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, U.S. 47°36′38″N 117°39′02″W / 47.6105°N 117.6505°W / 47.6105; -117.6505
Aircraft
Aircraft type	B-52H Stratofortress
Aircraft name	Czar 52
Operator	United States Air Force
Registration	61-0026
Occupants	4
Passengers	0
Crew	4
Fatalities	4
Survivors	0

On Friday, 24 June 1994, a United States Air Force (USAF) Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, United States,^[1] after its pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur "Bud" Holland, maneuvered the bomber beyond its operational limits and lost control. The aircraft stalled, fell to the ground and exploded, killing Holland and the other three crew aboard. The crash was captured on video and was shown repeatedly on news broadcasts throughout the world.

The subsequent investigation concluded that the crash was attributable primarily to three factors: Holland's personality and behavior, USAF leaders' delayed or inadequate reactions to earlier incidents involving Holland, and the sequence of events during the aircraft's final flight. The crash is now used in military and civilian aviation environments as a case study in teaching crew resource management. It is also often used by the U.S. Armed Forces during aviation safety training as an example of the importance of compliance with safety regulations and correcting the behavior of anyone who violates safety procedures.