1994 Fairchild Air Force Base B-52 crash
On Friday, 24 June 1994, a United States Air Force (USAF) Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, United States, 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.
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.
A B-52H similar to the one involved in the accident
Lt Col Mark McGeehan, the copilot on the accident flight
In fluid dynamics, a stall is a reduction in the lift coefficient generated by a foil as angle of attack increases. This occurs when the critical angle of attack of the foil is exceeded. The critical angle of attack is typically about 15°, but it may vary significantly depending on the fluid, foil, and Reynolds number.
Airflow separating from an airfoil at a high angle of attack, as occurs at a stall.
A Schweizer SGS 1-36 being used for deep-stall research by NASA over the Mojave Desert in 1983.
