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Does anybody remember this event? It happened in November 1979 (NORAD Computer glitch caused real problem for the USAF). On November 9, 1979, a test tape containing simulated attack data, used to test the missile warning system, was fed into a NORAD computer, which through human error was connected to the operational missile alert system. During the ensuing six-minute alert, tactical fighter aircraft were launched from bases in the US and Europe.

At this time I was a SSgt assigned to Maintenance Operations, a “Board Controller” who just happen to have weekend duty this weekend on “Mid shift”. Part of our jobs in this center was to accept and send messages. They were messages sent from within the USAF.

They provided information, directions and actions to be taken in the time of exercise, serious conflict or war. One weekend duty I had no reason to think I would receive an incoming message utilizing this system, especially early on a Sunday morning with no exercise in progress or up-coming.

I was just starting to read “the night log” (seeing what flightline maintenance actions had taken place and what was still pending) and listening to the radio, just killing time and waiting for the evening hours to pass when all of a sudden the Command Post “Hot Line” goes off (red colored phone line), lights were flashing and the phone was ringing. Even the red light was rotating in the room (like on top of a police car) indicating a serious Massage was inbound (nice notification system we had).

I was surprised and shocked, I knew something was up (possibly an exercise or something was very wrong); because I would never get a message at this time of night unless it was a test or something was really wrong in the world. I found the message-coding book, opened it and answered the phone and listened closely.

Each part of the code was spoken aloud in phonetics, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Mike etc. I would write down the letters of each code and find the proper format for the day and then decode the message. As it would turn out, I would then have to initiate a “Wing Recall” at once, calling the Base Battle Staff, and as I was doing this I also had to confirm the message with the Base Command Post (I was by myself in the MOC).

Once the message was confirmed by the “CP”, the “recall” was underway. I had to recall all key members of the staff and base personal and contact our “alert center” that we had an incoming Massage. The alert aircraft were ready for a scramble (to launch) they were already loaded. All this was happening within a few moments, and I pushed a few buttons and some of the actions started. As I was doing this (seconds later) I got another Message and I was still decoding parts of the first message. The first message indicated an attack was imminent from the Soviet Union, indicating this was no drill!

I could not believe it, my mind was going a bit crazy wondering what just happened in the world causing this but I really had no time to think about it, I had to finish decoding this message and get the word out ASAP. The second message was now coming in, I was taking the information down and the phones in the center were now ringing off the hook! All hell was breaking loose and I was on my own.

It had only been maybe a minute or two since I got the first message and a second message was coming in. I was swamped and I had to get this second massage data decoded before I could do anything else. It was a nightmare and it was real. I decoded the second message, and it indicated that a massive strike was inbound, the Soviet Union had launched nuclear missiles towards the US and Europe (UK included)…this was not drill!

As I read the message, I thought we were all going to die. The crazy Russians had finally done it! I transmitted my part of the message to the Command Post for validation, and they confirmed it. We had about ten minutes until impact. We were going to be hit and so was the rest of Europe. This was real, it was no exercise, and I thought of my wife and my two children (at that time). With all this happening, I wondered if I should call to warn her. What would I say, there was no place to run and hide, they would soon be dead, so would I (it was crazy, I’ll never forget that whole situation).

The phones were still ringing off the hook, and I answered a few of them best I could while I was waiting for some of my folks to come to work to assist in this nightmare. At the same time I knew they would never make it in (it was all too nuts). I could not tell them over the phone what was happening; it was classified (as indicated in the massage). I thought what a waste of time it has all been but maybe we can strike back. Our aircraft were talking off from the alert barn, and I could hear them as I talked with “Victor Alert”. This was all very real people; the pilots had been given permission to launch from the Command Post and NATO was doing the same. Everything in Europe was either already out, or about to take off towards the Soviet Union as a retaliatory strike, but none of us would survive this attack, I still can’t believe we all went thought that nightmare, I often wondered how many folks actually knew this event took place (at that time).

Seconds seemed like hours, and I felt like I was in limbo, and almost numb! I decided I would not call my wife and say good bye to her (why scare her I thought), the phones kept ringing, and no one was in my building yet. It had only been minutes, and not enough time for anyone to get dressed and run into work to assist me. I kept wondering what good it would do anyway. Once a nuclear weapon impacted, all life on the island would cease to exist within a matter of moments.

I paused for a second and looked at the room, all the phones were now ringing, and I could not answer all of them. I picked up what I could (CP and Victor Alert phones only). Next thing I knew, a few people are coming into the room, picking up the phones and helping answer them. They asked what was going on, but before I could answer, another Message came in and I dropped what I was doing and took the information and decoded it.

This was a full “recall” of all aircraft, and it repeated that request several times. It was an immediate recall of all aircraft. The message further explained that a “computer fault” in the Air Defense Command computer at Cheyenne Mountain – NORAD, had created a false alarm, and we were not under attack. It was all a computer glitch, and I could not believe it. I still had tears in my eyes as I yelled out to the guys in the room, that it is all a mistake, we are not going to be bombed. They looked at me and wondered what the hell I was talking about!

I had not had the time to tell them about the other messages and why they had to rush back to work. I put my head down on the table and tried to catch my breath and explain. Now about six to eight minutes had passed and the room was becoming more and more populated. I even had some security policemen on the room to guard the “nester” (our secure system); it was the secure message machine I had been getting all this information from. Since we thought we were under attack it was to be protected (as usual), and now (once I spoke) the room went quiet. I held up the message and said that it was a mistake, and we all could relax (looking back, I felt drained and scared). Everybody wanted to know what had happened. I called the Command Post and told them to validate the message. They did, and I had an instant feeling of relief come over me.

I read the message out loud to everyone in the room, starting with the first message. They all stared at me and could not believe it, and then I read the last message indicating it was a computer error by NORAD. They all cheered and shook each other’s hands. I still had tears in my eyes. I few minutes later our squadron commander and Wing Commander came into the room, wanting me to explain (review) everything that happened. At the same time, the command post confirmed all of our alert aircraft were on their way back to the base. I could see a sign of relieve in everyone’s faces, and even the commanders looked relieved. We all answered the phones and after thirty minutes or so the recall was canceled and people were sent back home.

The Wing Commander told us all that we could not talk about this incident at this time but every effort would be made to find out what happened and what had failed in our system of early warning (the information has since been released) . The base other than those in the room and around NATO there at work like us would not know what happened for many years to come. No one would know how close we came to war and possible total destruction. Our aircraft had been headed towards Soviet airspace and it was not just our aircraft that had launched, but all NATO aircraft in Europe and some point were just minutes away from the Soviet Union we discovered later.

What nightmare it had become, but we did not go through with it. The mistake was found and corrected in time to prevent World War Three and the destruction of Europe. Many people stayed at work and double-checked my message traffic and decoding to ensure I had not overreacted or made a mistake, but I had not. It was all too real.

I was told I handled myself very professionally during this crisis and I did everything according to the book (I had followed our checklist to the letter). Most folks stuck around the control room until four or five in the morning; we talked, laughed and were honestly grateful it was all a mistake. We drank coffee and tried to laugh it off but we all knew how really close we came to war, and that was not funny, not one bit!

Many years later in 1986 the world would know how close the world came to the dangerous edge due to a computer mistake at NORAD. A special report on NORAD was being televised on the HISTORY Channel and it referred to a serious mistake that occurred many years earlier. I knew they were talking about that night, and it still felt strange to hear it knowing I lived through that (nightmare) night first hand. Of course all systems have been redesigned and changed, to help prevent another nightmare like this but damn, that was too close.

Did any of you remember or participate in this event in some way?

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Pretty scary stuff. You seem to have your fair share of issues with nukes in your career. I consider one way to many.

Last edited by Meathook on Jun 05, 2009 - 03:32 AM; edited 1 time in total

Agreed, every once and awhile, I check myself out with the old dosimeter, to ensure I dont 'glow" Smile

Four old buddies of mine contacted me today, they too had a part in that event in different ways, one as a Marine, two assigned with SAC (B-52's had launched) one was at the CP in Europe too...all remember how scared they were for thirty minutes or so (until everyone was assured it was a fake impute) or mistake.

Pretty exciting stuff. What base you were at when this was taking place?

Bentwaters

Minutes away, huh? Looks like we got through that one by the skin of our teeth. Kind of crazy how the world came that close without actually making it all the way. I wonder if the Soviets detected any of the inbound aircraft?

Wow, nice read ! Smile

Hehe, I guess the soviets spilled the coffee when they saw hundreds of military aircraft launcing, heading towards soviet. Anyone know how they reacted?

I think they had their own operation on going (fleet wise), after reading some articles in the past, I heard the Russkies had been involved in an "exercise of their own" during this time which when the computer tried reviewing their operation and our simulation, the computer gave a false indication coupled with human error that caused the whole thing so based on information I recently read and heard, it could have been one bad situation causing another (as it always appears to be in these or those times). Yes, I think the world sneezed and a "Lucky God Bless you" was given and we survived it all, using it as a lesson learned by both sides.

The computer error was caught by the US side (one of the technicians on site), so in a way, we saved ourselves and the Russians who's own actions complicated the whole event. I heard years later, we (US) gave (sent) the Russkies a letter indicating we were sorry for our part in the event.

But you know, there were many times we both played such games, launch towards them testing their reactions, and they did the same to us, but that time in 1979 it got too real, too real indeed.

I have heard the event about this is somewhere on the internet too, I just have not looked for it, it might be interesting to read other peoples thought on their reaction to that event.

I think anyone who has lived or worked on a base with an alert mission will never forget the sound the Klaxon makes when it's time to go.

There were times when you'd see the Zulu Alert (Air Defense) birds go, and wonder if it might be the Russians.

Thankfully, where I lived in Florida, it was usually just a drug plane trying to sneak in from South America.

Yep, I agree, the milder of the situations for sure, much rather wonder if it was a druggie being chased Thumb

TC wrote:

I think anyone who has lived or worked on a base with an alert mission will never forget the sound the Klaxon makes when it's time to go.

There were times when you'd see the Zulu Alert (Air Defense) birds go, and wonder if it might be the Russians.

Thankfully, where I lived in Florida, it was usually just a drug plane trying to sneak in from South America.

I pulled many hours on SAC alert and have stayed on 'cockpit alert' and even had our jets taxi to the end of the runway once when the response times of impending strike from the seacoast warranted it. This was usually due to the Soviets excercises where their subs would move in dangerously close reducing our effective response time. I'll never forget that Horn and "Klaxon, Klaxon, Klaxon!!"

I believe Meathook's story was the inspiration for the movie "War Games". They obviously made changes for the movie but the premise is the same.

I had forgotten about that movie, you just might have something there "Link"...good point!

Does it sound like this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WWII_ ... klaxon.ogg

Forum: Off-topic

Were you somehow a part of this scare, I sure was