B-52 Crashes; Crew Survives

A B-52 bomber crashed and burst into flames early today on a runway while practicing “touch-and-go” landings at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, officials said. All eight crew members survived but some were hospitalized with broken bones.

The plane, normally equipped to carry nuclear bombs, crashed about 1:15 a.m. No weapons were aboard, said Lt. Col. George Peck, a spokesman for Strategic Air Command headquarters in Omaha. Peck said a board of officers will investigate the accident, adding that weather did not appear to be a factor.