Was Aboard A USAF Bomber That Went Down Off British Columbia In 1950

A practice bomb that is thought to have been aboard a U.S. Air Force Convair 36B that went down in 1950 may have been discovered by a scuba diver in British Columbia, Canada.

The bomb is a Mark IV "Fat Man" that had been aboard the airplane which had officially been reported lost after three of its engines caught fire over the ocean off the northwest coast of Canada. The CBC reports that, according to a book published by historian Dirk Septer earlier this year, the crew abandoned the aircraft and it went down in the ocean. But nearly four years later, the wreckage was found in a mountainous area of B.C. three hours flying time from where it allegedly went down.

Years later, the U.S. admitted to having lost its first nuclear bomb.

The location of the find was confirmed by Major Steve Neta of the Canadian Armed Forces,according to the report. Neta said that according to military records, the bomb is likely a dummy capsule, and not an actual nuclear weapon. But out of an abundance of caution, the Royal Canadian Navy is sending a ship to investigate the find, which should arrive in the next few weeks. Neta said that the government wants to "be sure" that there is no risk of a nuclear explosion underwater.

(Public domain image via Wikimedia)

FMI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_British_Columbia_B-36_crash