Incident at Aviano

In November 1965, a young, alert pilot inadvertently activates a nuclear weapon. The weapon is mounted on his jet just off the tarmac of the flight line at Aviano Air Base, Italy. The next twenty-four hours pit Lieutenant Colonel Dan Cassino and his team of specialists against a powerful adversary: a bomb that can kill and injure thousands, devastate the northern Italian countryside, and possibly destroy the NATO alliance. A NEST (Nuclear Emergency Support Team) from New Mexico is on its way to help, but their journey will take hours the bomb may not allow.

Cassino's personal history as an Army Air Corps navigator in World War II and an Air Force nuclear warrior in the Cold War led him to this fateful November weekend. Two timelines play out: one where the bomb is disarmed, and one where it isn't. This novel is based on the true story of the 1965 Aviano Air Base incident.