Which 1966 incident involved a U.S. B-52 crash near Palomares, Spain, that caused radioactive contamination?

• A. Paris Peace Accords (1973)
• B. Palomares incident (1966)
• C. Oleg Penkovsky
• D. Operation RYAN

Answer: (B)

This item tests your knowledge of a notable Cold War nuclear incident involving a U.S. strategic bomber and radioactive contamination. In January 1966, a B-52 Stratofortress carrying four hydrogen bombs collided with a KC-135 tanker over the coast of Spain near Palomares. The crash caused several bombs to be released; two of them caused plutonium contamination on land at Palomares and in the surrounding sea area. There was no nuclear detonation due to safety mechanisms, but the incident created significant radioactive contamination and required an extensive cleanup. The event is specifically known as the Palomares incident because it centers on that crash and its radioactive fallout.

The other options refer to unrelated events: Paris Peace Accords ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam in 1973; Oleg Penkovsky was a Soviet intelligence source captured and executed in the early 1960s; Operation RYAN was a Soviet intelligence plan from a later era.