McConnell EOD team uncovers 70 year-old weaponry

Published June 18, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Colby L. Hardin
22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- It's not every day antique military ordnance is found where it has been lying in wait for decades in a farmer's field, but on May 30, that's exactly what happen in Russell, Kansas.

The 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Standby Team was dispatched to check on a rusted Browning M2 machine gun that was found along with 12, 50-caliber rounds linked together by rust.

The parts came from a B-29 Superfortress, which crashed during a training mission near Russell, Kansas, almost 70 years ago. Eight crew members were lost in the crash and ensuing fire on approach for landing caused by a catastrophic failure on Engine No. 1.

"This is not a typical situation," said Staff Sgt. Patrick McKee, 22nd CES Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operations NCOIC. "Very rarely do you get to work with found ordnance and weapon systems from an aircraft incident that happened that long ago."

After checking the weapon to ensure there were no hazards present, the team promptly disposed of the ammunition and left the gun with the university personnel that discovered it.

"After I checked the chamber and deemed it to be clear, I returned it back to the guys," added McKee. "They're currently trying to put it on display in a museum and are working the proper channels through the military. You have to understand, this was in 1945. The Air Force didn't technically exist, so this will be fairly complicated on their end."

Finding old war items is not anything new to the EOD unit, but finding possibly hazardous parts from a 70-year-old crashed aircraft in Kanas is. The team was still able to easily handle the situation.

When they respond to a call in the community, whether it be in support of local law enforcement or other military units, the area and items found must be cleared using the proper equipment and know-how to minimize hazards present and avoid making an inherently dangerous situation any more so.

"It can be difficult sometimes, but we have technology on our side," said McKee. "We have x-ray equipment that we can use to see into items to assess the hazards more thoroughly, robots and bomb suits to distance ourselves from the damaging effects of a detonation, metal detectors to locate unseen dangers and a vast library of publications to reference for specific techniques and procedures required for a myriad of military and improvised explosive devices, or IEDs."

The items were found along with numerous other B-29 parts to include 4-inch thick laminated windows from the cockpit, landing gear, and a ladder from the front wheel well. In the initial accident report from 1945, this ladder was cited by all the survivors as their final avenue of escape from a crippled plane as it rapidly descended towards the farmer's field.

"We dealt with it on the property of one the guys who found it," added McKee. "If they do find something else, they know who to call".