PETOSKEY NEWS

38 years ago, B-52 crash claimed nine lives near former Big Rock Point

October 05, 2009|
By Brandon Hubbard Saturday Staff writer

Each summer, hundreds of travelers stop at the Lake Michigan Shores roadside park north of Charlevoix on U.S. 31, pausing to take in the breathtaking scenery, enjoy a picnic at the tables or rest during their journey.

But the postcard-perfect park also has an untold story many travelers might not know if they miss the plaque situated here.

One of several stones lining the boundary of the parking lot, a large granite boulder sits at one end of the park with a bronze marker affixed. "In Memoriam," it states, "the following B-52 crew members gave their lives during a training mission, January 7, 1971."

To the inquisitive, the plaque immediately brings questions, like how a B-52 made its way to Northern Michigan for a bombing run, what brought it down, and who was among the crew that perished?

"What's happening? There is a huge explosion in the sky north of our house. You wouldn't believe it," said Mrs. Phil Martin and daughter Nita, 15, to Petoskey News-Review reporters at the time. The Martins were among the first to report an explosion over Lake Michigan, after Nita called for her mom's attention after seeing something go past the north window of their home on Cherry Street.

Afterward, a huge, bright fireball appeared and dropped behind the trees and hill. The circular shape of Little Traverse Bay acted like an amphitheater for hours as witnesses described seeing light as vibrant as a sunset.

By the morning, a more morose story had played out.

Despite high winds and zero visibility, what the Martins saw was the enormous, eight-engine B-52C Stratosphere bomber ignite in mid-air, before crashing into Lake Michigan, burning excess fuel and debris on the surface for several hours.

The Air Force's Strategic Air Command later confirmed that one of its aircraft from Westover Air Force Base, Mass., on a simulated bombing run, had crashed near Bay Shore.

Why were they here?

B-52 bombers began arriving in Northern Michigan in 1963, when the U.S. Air Force moved a radar station from Ironwood, Mich. and built the 100-airmen staffed Bay Shore radar site on a hill overlooking Little Traverse Bay.

The open water of Little Traverse Bay made an ideal location for the electronic scoring system for mock-bombings. Planes from as far England traveled to complete their training missions, and as many as 400 runs and 1,000 "bomb drops" were done in a week at the station.

But on this day, one of the most impressive air vessels ever used was scattered in a 1,200-by-600 foot zone that had depths of more than 200 feet to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Because of the intensity of the crash, combined with the frigid water temperatures, the Coast Guard declared its "rescue" mission a "recovery" mission within two days.

In the following weeks, the Coast Guard icebreaker Woodbine and cutter Sundew that were initially dispatched returned to their homes, and a private 10-man diving team from Ocean Systems, Inc. of Reston, Va., was called to take over the recovery.

In the end, a record winter sheeting the lake with ice nightly and 15-foot swells proved to be too much, even after a month of searching. Among the little debris ever found, according to reports, was a portion of the fuselage, a life vest and papers from the aircraft.

The nine men who were killed and who are now immortalized on the stone in Bay Shore are:

Lt. Col. William Lemmon, 38, Porterville, Calif., Navigator

Lt. Col. John M. Somonfy Jr., 39, Lewiston, Mont., Navigator Instructor

Maj. Donald F. Rosseau, 37, Morgantown, West Va., Electronic Warfare Officer

Maj. Gerald W. Black, 32, Flushing, N.Y., Pilot

Capt. John E. Weaver, 27, St. Louis, Navigator

Capt. Joel G. Hirsh, 26, Western Springs, Ill., Navigator

1st Lt. Douglas Bachman, 25, Highland Park, N.J., Electronic Warfare Officer

1st Lt. Dennis Ferguson, 25, North Ridgeland, Ohio, Co-pilot

Tech. Sgt. Jerry M. Achey, 33, Ocean City, Wash., Gunner

Editor's note: Information culled from Petoskey News-Review reports written by Fran Martin, Jim Horn and Jim Doherty.

Did you see the accident?

Eyewitness details from the crash, now nearly 40 years later, are hard to come by. Saturday would be interested in hearing readers' accounts of the accident; contact writer Brandon Hubbard at bhubbard@petoskeynews.com.

Information about the crash as reported by Wikipedia:

"January 7, 1971: An unarmed USAF B-52C-45-BO, 54-2666, of the 9th BW, Westover AFB, Massachusetts, crashed into Lake Michigan near Charlevoix during a practice bomb run, exploding on impact. Only a small amount of wreckage, two life vests, and some spilled fuel was found in Little Traverse Bay. The bomber went down six nautical miles from the Bay Shore Air Force Radar Site and close to the Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant. Nine crew KWF."
 
 

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