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-CONE'IDENTIAL 
E.O. 

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DRAFT 8/10/66 

a f--/~-~7 Question 1: The President was first notified that an ac­cident involving nuclear weapons had taken place over Spain at 
7:05 AM, Monday, January 17, 1966. He was informed by means of a regular report which he received every day at this hour. We do not know where he was at the time he read the report, but most likely, he was in the Mansion. 
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Question 2: The text of the mes sage first conveyed to him was as follows: 
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A B-52 and a KC-135 Tanker collided while conducting a refueling operation 180 miles from Gibraltar. The B-52 crashed on the shore in Spain and the Tanker went down in the sea. Four survivors have been picked up and three additional life rafts have been sighted. The B-52 was carrying four Mark 28 thermo­nuclear weapons. The 16th Nuclear Disaster team has been dispatched to the area. J\ We do not know what his immediate response was. The President was personally informed of sub­

sequent developments several times during Monday, and received a special report on the incident at 9 PM that night. He was kept ...._ CO~JFIDEI<:TIAL ..... 

CONFIDli:NTIAL -2 ­
informed in writing every morning at 7 AM and, for the first few days, each evening at 9 PM. One of the reports included a map of the area and current information of the location of the accident, the remains of the planes, and the location of the weapons. 
Question 3: We do not know whether the President issued any personal orders or directives relating to the incident. It is most likely that he talked to both Secretary Rusk and Secre­tary McNamara by telephone and in person, but our records do not indicate when he did so. Question 4: Our records do not reflect the President's order covering the information policy in effect during the first weeks of the incident. One of the factors in deciding on what in­formation should be made public was the attitude of the Spanish 
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Government'Snd:-tt was accutely sensitive to any public state­
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made 
ments/about the accident and the presence of nuclear weapons. 

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The Department of Defense Public Information Office would have more details about the press handling of the accident. Question 5: Our records do not contain any information as to the President1s reaction when he was informed that the bomb had been located~ or when it was recovered. 
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