by This page is dedicated to Florida historical markers near Orlando 1972 B-52 Crash. There are many historical markers in Florida. This marker in is an excellent example.
1972 B-52 Crash
This Florida Historical Marker is entitled 1972 B-52 Crash , and is located in Orlando in , Florida. Marker is at the intersection of South Conway Road and Merryweather Drive, on the right when traveling south on South Conway Road.
Inscription on the Marker
The inscription reads:
1972 B-52 Crash. At 11:20 a.m. on March 31, 1972, a 306th Bombardment Wing B-52D Stratofortress bomber stationed at nearby McCoy Air Force Base (now Orlando International Airport) crashed on this site. The plane, which was not carrying any weapons, had left McCoy minutes earlier and was headed north for a mock bombing exercise over Statesboro, Ga. when the aircraft sustained multiple engine failures and an engine fire. The crew was attempting to return to McCoy for an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed 3,220 feet short of the runway. The crash carved a 150-foot crater in the ground and about 40,000 gallons of fuel ignited and burned much of a two-block area in the residential area adjacent to this site. The crash killed seven Air Force crewmen, including pilot Capt. Wendell W. (Continued on other side). Reverse:(Continued from other side). Campbell, 30, co-pilot Capt. Barry E. Applebee, 26, radar-bombardier Maj. James J. Hammons, 37, navigator 1st Lt. Robert Heatherly, 26, electronic warfare officer Maj. William E. Kesler, 41, gunner M. Sgt. Allen H. Murray, 53, and instructor-navigator Lt. Col. George M. Gamache, 42. Eight civilians on the ground were injured, including 10-year-old Anthony Ellington, who was playing in a nearby field. Ellington died three days later in a military hospital in San Antonio, Texas, 80 percent of his body covered with burns. The accident remains the worst plane crash in Central Florida history., This plaque is dedicated in grateful and loving tribute to the brave crew and civilian whose lives were lost that day. Teresa Jacobs, Orange County Mayor , Jennifer Thompson, Commissioner District 4 , Orange County Board of County Commissioners.
Marker Sponsor and Install Date for 1972 B-52 Crash
Placed by Orange County Board of County Commissioners.
Installed in 2012.
Maps & Location Views
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The History of Orlando
More than a century before the Pilgrims set foot at Plymouth Rock, in 1513, Florida began its modern-day history, of which Orlando is a part.
During this period, Florida was still part of the United States Territory and not yet a state; therefore, many Native American tribes occupied land throughout Central Florida, including Seminole Indians who had migrated there from Georgia during the First Seminole War (1817-1818).
In 1838, the U.S. Army built Fort Gatlin south of the present-day Orlando City limits to protect settlers from attacks by Indians during the Second Seminole War. During the Civil War, Orlando’s role included supplying the Confederacy with food, cattle, and horses from the vast plantations in the region.
Today Orlando is recognized as a global tourist attraction and entertainment city
About the Florida Historical Marker Program
One of the most well-known and noticeable public history initiatives of the Division of Historical Resources is the Florida Historical Marker Program. It is intended to increase residents’ and visitors’ enjoyment of Florida’s historic places and to increase public knowledge of the state’s rich cultural past.
About Floridamarkers.com & Florida Historical Markers Near Orlando 1972 B-52 Crash
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