Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker crash, Jan 16, 1965 (30 killed)
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker accident on January 16, 1965 near Wichita Kansas, United States with 30 fatalities. Cause: Rudder control system...
- Date: January 16, 1965
- Aircraft: Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
- Location: Wichita Kansas, United States
- Fatalities: 30
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: Rudder control system malfunction, according to the official Air Force investigation
Shortly after takeoff from McConnell Air Force Base, the Boeing Stratotanker lost control after a hard left bank and dove into a residential area of Wichita, Kansas, about 7 miles from the base. Its jet fuel load exploded and burned, destroying homes, and the Air Force investigation attributed the crash to a rudder control system malfunction.