What Was the Name of the Pilot of the Plane that Dropped the Bomb on Nagasaki?

Major Charles W. Sweeney was the name of the pilot who flew the B-29 bomber “Bock’s Car” that dropped the atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki during World War II. 

Sweeney was not the original pilot intended to drop the bomb on Nagasaki. Prior to the mission, "The Great Artiste" was scheduled to drop the bomb. The Great Artiste was piloted by Maj. Frederick C. Bock. However, the US Air Force reports that a last-minute change in crew resulted in Sweeney and the Bockscar (also known as Bock's Car) flying the mission.

The mission was the second of the atomic bomb missions that the United States had planned. It was also the last mission for the United States atomic program at that time.  Three bombs had originally been developed, but one had been used in testing and the second bomb had been dropped on the city of Hiroshima.

Dropping the Bomb

On August 9th, 1945, the “Bockscar” dropped the “Fat Man” atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki.  Before this atomic bomb run, there had been several test runs performed with 10,000 pound bombs made in the same shape as the atomic bomb. However, these test bombs were only filled with high explosives.  This was done to fool the Japanese as well the US flight crews, and was also necessary to test the effect on the air speed and other handling of the planes once the heavy weight of the atomic bomb was dropped. 

Today, Bockscar can be viewed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Approximately one million visitors come to see this famous plane each year.