Herman Floyd Williams, Bettie J. Williams v. United States of America, Alma G. Segers and W. C. Segers v. United States

On July 22, 1952, a United States Air Force B-47 Strato-Jet Bomber being operated by Air Force personnel caught fire and exploded in mid-air over Marianna, Florida. There were no survivors from the airplane. The injuries and damages sustained by plaintiffs, of which they complain in these two suits, 1 were caused by the falling of flaming fuel from the exploded airplane. Plaintiffs, relying solely upon the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur to sustain their burden of showing negligence on the part of the government, introduced evidence showing only the facts we have related, and rested. Thereupon,…