"ONE OF MY MISSILES HAS FIRED!"

Air Classics, Aug 2004 by De Hare, Robert L

The radar operator at Blush First plotted the last scope position of the B-52 and immediately radioed Kirtland. In a moment, the word was flashing across radio and TV nets to military officials and private citizens. Within, the next seven hours, Kirtland AFB's switchboard was swamped with more than 3600 calls from all over the world.

But in Albuquerque and in Grants, so near the relatives of Capt. Gineris and Sgt. Miera, no one had any inkling that, in the skies above them, two of their loved ones had been killed.

At Kirtland, they were used to looking for downed aircraft because it happened a lot in the great and lonesome desert-mountain country. Often it was a civilian light plane and occasionally a military craft. Three years earlier, in March 1958, the search in the same general area had been for film producer Mike Todd and his missing Lockheed Lodestar.

As soon as word was received, Maj. Gen. Charles M. McCorkle, Commander of Kirtland's Special Weapons Center, put the regular search plan into effect. Colonel C. M. Shook, Deputy Base Commander of the 4900th Air Base Group, and Lt. Col. Eugene W. Cox, the search director, had a good man in their operations office. He was Capt. Wilbur H. Biedenkapp, veteran search pilot. Biedenkapp had experience as search coordinator many times before. His last assignment prior to arriving at Kirtland had been with the 54th Air Rescue Squadron at Goose Bay, Labrador.

Quickly, helicopter, T-33 and C-47 pilots were briefed for aerial search. At about the same time, a ground convoy was being assembled by Maj. Ted Lewis, Kirtland Assistant Operations Officer.

State police were ordered to close off all roads to curiosity seekers. The Civil Air Patrol, the Navajo Law and Order Unit, and the Southern Union Gas patrol line personnel were notified, as well as county emergency personnel and city police in the area.

Helicopters were requested from Holloman and Cannon AFBs at the same time and other bases phoned in and volunteered their aircraft as well.

Everyone knew the search would be a mean business. The weather coiled to the west now, ready to strike. High winds were forecast with snow and sleet.

The first positive search report came from the pilot of an H-21 helicopter directed to the last point where the B-52 had been observed on radar. The pilot reported sighting smoke but was unable to get very close to the crash site because of the weather. He was requested to take notes of any roads leading to the crash scene so Blush First could direct the ground convoy which was growing considerably in both size and composi- tion. It now included ambulances, fire trucks, and mobile communications vehicles. Military, State police, County police, and CAP units were taking part. Approximately two hours after the initial sighting, an H-21 with pilot 1st Lt. Richard P. Smith and Capt. W. A. Britton and Lt. Wells aboard reported that the wreckage was then visible from the air through a hole in the clouds, about 15 miles northeast of the tip of Mt. Taylor.