Of the steps in this diagram the only one that prevented a nuclear detonation of the first bomb was the arming switch. In the swiss cheese model of accidents, out of 17 layers of protection, 16 failed. The safety mechanism that succeeded in this case had a history of failing because nuts in the plane could fall down and short the switch, arming the bomb unintentionally in flight.
The pilots who bailed out were both arrested by base MPs for ‘stealing parachutes’ while trying to get to the base and warn about the unsafe condition of the crash site. It probably didn’t help that the first pilot to make it to base was black in NC in the 60s.
To be clear the failsafes barely did.
Of the steps in this diagram the only one that prevented a nuclear detonation of the first bomb was the arming switch. In the swiss cheese model of accidents, out of 17 layers of protection, 16 failed. The safety mechanism that succeeded in this case had a history of failing because nuts in the plane could fall down and short the switch, arming the bomb unintentionally in flight.
The pilots who bailed out were both arrested by base MPs for ‘stealing parachutes’ while trying to get to the base and warn about the unsafe condition of the crash site. It probably didn’t help that the first pilot to make it to base was black in NC in the 60s.