The 1974 B-52 Crash Near Damascus, Arkansas: Not the Washington Monument

Correction: The event described—a B-52C Stratofortress crash with nuclear weapons—occurred near Damascus, Arkansas (not the Washington Monument) on September 18–19, 1980 (not October 28, 1974). This was the Damascus Titan missile explosion (actually a B-52 incident—see below).

The Actual 1980 Damascus Incident

• Date: September 18–19, 1980
• Location: Launch Complex 374-7, near Damascus, Arkansas (Van Buren County)
• System: Titan II ICBM (not B-52)—liquid-fueled, 9-megaton W-53 warhead
• Cause: Dropped 8-lb wrench socket punctured fuel tank → hypergolic propellant (Aerozine 50 + N₂O₄) leak → explosion 8.5 hours later
• Outcome: 760-ton silo door blown 200 ft; warhead ejected 100+ ft, landed in ditch; safety devices prevented detonation; 1 airman killed, 21 injured

Washington Monument Incidents (Actual)

The Washington Monument has experienced:

• 1982: Norman Mayer anti-nuclear protestor drove van to base, claimed explosives (none found), shot by police
• 2011: 5.8 Mw Virginia earthquake—cracks in pyramidion, $15M repair, closed 32 months
• 2016: Elevator modernization (reopened 2019)
• Various: Lightning strikes (lightning protection system), climbing attempts, drone incursions

Other Notable "Broken Arrow" Nuclear Incidents

The Damascus Titan incident remains the most serious US ICBM accident. The warhead's safety mechanisms (fire-resistant pit, high-explosive violence resistance, enhanced electrical safety) worked as designed—a testament to Sandia Labs' "one-point safety" engineering.