1958 Westover Air Force Base KC-135 crash

On June 27, 1958, four KC-135s assigned to the 4050th Air Refueling Wing, Eighth Air Force at Westover Air Force Base would seek to break two New York City to London speed records. The other pair would attempt to break the record for New York to London, stop and refuel at RAF Brize Norton, then immediately attempt to break the London to New York record. ==Accident==

The first plane, Alpha, took off from Westover at 11:52p.m. on June 26. The second, Bravo, took off at 12:07a.m.. Its uplifted left wing struck high-voltage power lines and the plane skidded across a cornfield and the Massachusetts Turnpike before exploding. Rather than immediately returning to New York, they landed outside London and stayed there until June 29. The crash was the first involving the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, which had flown over without accident. ==Victims==

On board Cocoa was Brig. Gen. Donald W. Saunders, commander of the 57th Air Division and leader of the operation, a six-member crew, two civilian observers from the National Aeronautic Association (William J. Cochran and William R. Enyart), and six members of the press. The journalists killed in the crash were: • Robert Sibley, aviation editor of the Boston Herald Traveler • Brig. Gen. (ret.) A. Robert Ginsburgh, military reporter for U.S. News & World Report • Glenn A. Williams, associate editor of U.S. News & World Report • Norman Montellier, foreign affairs reporter for United Press International • Daniel J. Coughlin Jr., Boston reporter for the Associated Press • James L. McConaughy Jr., Washington bureau chief for Time and Life and son of former Connecticut governor James L. McConaughy ==Investigation==

The crash was investigated by the United States Air Force with the assistance of the Civil Aeronautics Administration and the Civil Aeronautics Board. The two civilian agencies sought any information that would affect the KC-135's civilian counterpart, the Boeing 707, which was soon to be put in operation. The probable cause of the accident was found to be complications caused by flaps that were deployed at an incorrect angle. ==Lawsuits==

In 1960, the families of James McConaughy and Glenn A. Williams sued the United States government for a total of $1,040,000 , alleging that the plane was overloaded and the flaps were used excessively during takeoff. In 1963, Maureen A. Montellier, the widow of Norman J. Montellier, received a $168,000 judgment . ==See also==