H-hour, this drone failed to respond to a full "down-elevator" signal
which the corresponding Mother was transmitting.
The drone stalled to
the left, dived at 250 mph, and engaged in a series of gyrations.
The
next dive (380 mph) ended in two successive inside loops followed by
further gyrations.
The final dive (260 mph) ended in an explosion as
the aircraft hit the water.
The crash occurred twenty-two miles from
the target on a heading of 38° at approximately 0622 hours.
The third exception to the plan was caused by the"shear effect" in
the atomic cloud at altitudes QE
Drone
aircraft at these MMJaltitudes were unable to make the third penetration of the atomic cloud because the "beeper pilots" aboard the
two Mother aircraft could not discern any portion of the cloud at
their levels.
In respect to the weather aircraft with the runaway propeller, the
decision of the Commander, Air Forces, to direct the plane to proceed
to Kwajalein, rather than land at Eniwetok, was based upon the fact
that the Island of Eniwetok was already seriously overcrowded and |
activities were then in full swing with drones taking off; that no
major repair facilities were available on the Island; and that the evacuation problem on the Island would be further complicated by the addi-
tion of personnel.
The calculated risk involved in dispatching this
aircraft over 370 miles of water with one engine inoperative, was
partially counter-balanced by directing a B-17 aircraft to accompany
.