SOF BEGINS:"Colonel Burrell what kind of a fight...



"...that occurred just before ... after we took off."




Initials S-D



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Death came to fifteen people, --Pressman and airman---- who were taking part in the trans-Atlantic speed flights by four United States Airforce tanker aircraft. Two planes, both Strato-tankers, took off satisfactorily from Westover Air Force Base, before the fated KC135 moved off. With its four jet engines roaring the third plane began its flight. When it was about 1 3/4 miles from the Base the tanker crashed into overhead cables and exploded, wreckage being scattered over a wide area, including the Massachussets Turnpike, one of the state's busiest highways.

The fourth plane on the runway did not take off.

The leading aircraft, Strato-tanker Alpha, reached Brize Norton, England in a record time of 5 hours 27 minutes and 42.8 secs., thus beating the time set up by an RAF Canberra jet bomber, nearly three years ago, by an hour and a half. The second plane in was Bravo, which clocked 5 hrs. 29 mins. and 37.4 secs. The average speed from Westover the Brize Norton, for Bravo was 626.5 mph and 630.2 mph for Alpha.

At noon on Sunday, they started out for the return journey from London to New York. The time on this trip was five hours fifty one and a half minutes, another record breaker.