Fact Sheet

When the Unattended Baggage is Nuclear

Part of Heroes and Hiccups: True Stories about Nuclear Weapon Risks

When the Unattended Baggage is Nuclear

Misplacing six nukes

In 2007, a U.S. Air Force crew mistakenly loaded six nuclear weapons onto a B‑52 flying from North Dakota to Louisiana. After landing, the weapons sat unguarded on the runway for 36 hours before anyone realized there were nuclear weapons on board.

A year before, the Pentagon accidentally sent nuclear missile components to Taiwan—and no one figured out they were missing for 18 months.

More Resources 

Air Force Officers Fired Over Mistaken Flying of Nuclear Warheads | PBS News and U.S. sent missile fuses to Taiwan in error | The Seattle Times

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