America's 32 Missing Nukes - The Many Broken Arrow Incidents

The United States has recorded 32 "Broken Arrow" incidents—accidental loss or damage of nuclear weapons—since 1950. While six weapons remain permanently lost, nuclear safety mechanisms have successfully prevented any unintentional nuclear detonations, though several incidents came dangerously close due to human error and mechanical failures during the Cold War era.

• Cold War culture — Strategic Air Command prioritized constant readiness, keeping bombers armed with live nuclear weapons in the air 24/7, which increased the likelihood of accidents [07:47].

• Tybee Island — After a 1958 mid-air collision, a pilot jettisoned a Mark 15 bomb into the water near Savannah, Georgia; the device was never recovered [01:00].

• Mars Bluff — In 1958, a navigator accidentally triggered an emergency release, causing a weapon to fall into a South Carolina backyard and detonate its conventional explosives [15:15].

• Goldsboro near-miss — A 1961 structural failure dropped two hydrogen bombs in North Carolina, one of which nearly detonated but was saved by a single low-voltage safety switch [17:43].

• Palomares accident — A 1966 mid-air collision over Spain scattered four hydrogen bombs, resulting in conventional explosions that spread plutonium over hundreds of acres [20:54].

• Damascus silo — A technician dropped a socket in 1980, which punctured a fuel tank and caused a volatile leak and explosion that threw a warhead 100 feet from its silo [26:21].

• Minot mistake — In 2007, crew members unknowingly loaded six nuclear-armed cruise missiles onto a bomber, leaving them sitting unguarded on a tarmac for 36 hours [27:23].

• Safety improvements — Over time, the military introduced:

  • Coded switches to prevent unauthorized arming [30:50].
  • Insensitive explosives that resist detonation from impact or fire [29:08].
  • Stricter maintenance protocols and psychological screenings for personnel [31:56].

• How did the definition of a "Broken Arrow" incident encompass various types of nuclear weapon accidents?

• What safety changes were implemented following the incidents at Palomares and Thule?