A Rocket Exploded and Almost Sunk a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

[rangerrebew]

November 12, 2019

A Rocket Exploded and Almost Sunk a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

Fire is a Navy aircraft carrier's worst nightmare.
by Sebastien Roblin

Key Point: Flying shrapnel shredded many of the first responders, while jet fuel seared the skin off others, leaving survivors with horrifying injuries.


Two deadly collisions involving U.S. Navy destroyers in June and August 2017 may have cost the lives of up to sixteen sailors, leading the Navy to declare a day-long operational pause to reflect upon its safety culture. That such similar accidents took place in such close proximity reflects stresses and failings common to the maritime fighting branch.

In the 1960s, the Navy also suffered a series of deadly accidents aboard its carriers. In their wake came major reforms addressing the inherent dangers of operating ships packed full of explosive munitions, fuel and jet planes. This three-part series will examine why each of the accidents occurred, how the crew responded and the lessons that were drawn from the tragedies.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/rocket-exploded-and-almost-sunk-us-navy-aircraft-carrier-95691

[PeteS in CA]

Filling in some details from my past reading ...

Apparently the final decision to use the deteriorated older bombs was made in DC.

At the time it started, F-4s and A-4s were readying to be launched for a strike. IIRC, the F-4s were along the edge of the starboard quarter and stern, and the A-4s were along the edge of the stern and port quarter, noses in and tails overhanging the sea. The zuni that launched cross starboard to port. It hit an A-4, loosing a bomb and rupturing a fuel tank, and then the section with the engine flew off the carrier, with its exhaust igniting the fuel.

The fire control people had been trained to expect an 8-10 minute delay before a bomb would bake off, but the older, deteriorated, bombs baked off in under 2 minutes and the deterioration caused the explosion to be greater than what it should have been.