In the early morning on March 18th 1953 During a low-altitude flight over the Atlantic Ocean the US Air Force B-36 Peacemaker # 51-13721 struck an 896-foot tall ridge near Nut Grove in Newfoundland, Canada. The pilots were off-course and had misjudged speed and altitude. The plane hit the mountain side and exploded on impact, killing all 23 men on board. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft ever built. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built at 230 ft (70.1 m). Tragedy from this crash continued. The B-29 Superfortress search and rescue plane of the 52nd Air Rescue Squadron, 6th Air Rescue Group was sent out to assist in the search efforts. Once the B-36 Peacemaker plane crash site was discovered. The B-29 Superfortress search and rescue plane headed back to the Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland. The plane disappeared. It is believed to have crashed into St. Georges Bay, a few miles from the runway, killing all ten on board. The wreckage was never found, no cause for the crash was ever identified. The total death toll on this day from both plane crashes is 33.
