A U.S. Air Force B-47 accidentally dropped a Mark 6 nuclear bomb over Mars Bluff, South Carolina, on March 11, 1958. Its fissile core had been removed, ruling out nuclear detonation; the blast damaged nearby homes and left a crater about 70 feet wide and 35 feet deep.
The B-47 had taken off from Hunter Air Force Base near Savannah about 25 minutes earlier, bound for the United Kingdom as part of Operation Snow Flurry, which involved mock bomb drops. A cockpit fault light showed the bomb-harness locking pin was not engaged. Navigator and bombardier Capt. Bruce Kulka went to investigate and accidentally unhooked the Mark 6 while trying to insert a steel safety pin. The bomb fell into the bomb bay, forced the doors open and dropped over Mars Bluff from 15,000 feet; the pilot aborted the mission and returned to base.
The explosion damaged the Gregg home, a church and six nearby houses. Walter Gregg was cut on his right arm, his wife on her head, and their children were hit by flying debris.
