US Defense Department official confirmed Wednesday that a B-52 bomber had been mistakenly loaded with nuclear weapons and flown over American sky.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell tried to appease the country by saying "at no time was the public in danger."

President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have been already informed of the incident and ordered a probe into it.

Earlier Wednesday, media reports, citing an unidentified Pentagon source, said that a B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear warheads and flown over three hours across several states.

The plane, loaded with Advanced Cruise Missiles, took off on Aug. 30 from North Dakota and headed to Louisiana.

The incident resulted in a comprehensive procedure review by Air Force and the dismissal of a commander, the reports said.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Ike Skelton described the weapon mishandling "deeply disturbing" and called for more details to ensure that Defense Department would address it appropriately.

"There is no more serious issue than the security and proper handling of nuclear weapons," the Democratic said in a Wednesday's statement.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2007)