Forrestal disaster

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Deck crews fight the fire on the deck of the USS Forrestal
Images of the deck camera from the beginning of the disaster
Fire breaks out on the flight deck of the USS Forrestal
USS Rupertus supports the fire fighting
Deck plan of the Forrestal on July 29, 1967
As a result of the Forrestal disaster in 1969, the Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first carrier to receive a new deck edge extinguishing system

The Forrestal disaster occurred during the Vietnam War on July 29, 1967 on board the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal . It killed 134 people and injured 161. A misfired Zuni missile had set an aircraft on fire on the flight deck . This triggered an explosion, which caused ammunition and other planes to catch fire. The major fire also continued below the flight deck and could only be extinguished after several hours.

Course of the disaster

The aircraft carrier USS Forrestal had taken up position in the Gulf of Tonkin . For four days fighter planes took off against targets in North Vietnam . The accident occurred on the fifth day while preparing for a second start wave.

  • 10:50 am - A Zuni missile is started incorrectly by a parked F-4 Phantom , which can be traced back to a chain of safety-related negligence and unfortunate circumstances: the failure of the safety bolt, the improperly early connection of the missile to the control circuit and an overvoltage after starting the aircraft. The missile hits the fuel tank of a refueled and armed A-4 Skyhawk . At this point in time, Lieutenant Commander John McCain is the pilot in a neighboring aircraft, who manages to escape from his burning aircraft in time. The missile's warhead is secured and therefore does not explode. But leaking fuel ignites and after a short time causes the aircraft to explode. This triggers a chain reaction in the rear of the Forrestal's flight deck . Exploding ammunition and burning fuel immediately ignite other aircraft in the immediate vicinity. The approaching fire-fighting crews of the ship are injured or killed by exploding 1,000-pound bombs , some of which date back to the Second World War and are technically outdated and rusted, and the inexperienced crews who are advancing to fight the fire hinder each other. The destroyer USS Rupertus (DD 851) rushes to support the fire fighting.
  • 11:47 a.m. - The fire on the upper deck is reported as having been extinguished. Wreckage and inflammable material are thrown overboard in sometimes daring actions.
  • 12:45 p.m. - Wind and seeping fuel inflame parts on the 1st and 2nd lower deck. Several seafarers are cut off, suffocated or perish in the flames.
  • 1:48 p.m. - It is reported that fire has broken out on decks 1, 2 and 3, but the propulsion and control system is operational.
  • 2:12 p.m. - The rear radio department has to be evacuated due to thick smoke and water. All fires on the 1st deck have been extinguished.

While the fire fighting continued in the lower decks, the Forrestal met with the hospital ship USS Repose (AH-16) .

The commanding officer of the task force ordered the captain of the Forrestal to take a course towards Subic Bay in the Philippines. The fires in lower decks 2 and 3 were difficult to fight because of the strong smoke and heat and were not completely extinguished until 00:30 on 30 July.

Loss and damage

  • 134 people died directly from the fire or as a result of the injuries sustained.
  • 161 people were injured.
  • 21 aircraft were destroyed (11 A-4E Skyhawk , 7 F-4B Phantom II and 3 RA-5C Vigilante ).
  • The damage to the ship made it necessary to return to Norfolk's home port .
  • Repair work on the damaged ship took about seven months.
  • The damage was put at 72 million US dollars.

In the evaluation of the disaster, the development of a remote-controlled extinguishing system for flight decks was ordered. Further measures served to secure the armament attached to the aircraft. For firefighters , there was the US Navy from now on improved equipment and more intensive training for the crews on the ships.

See also

literature

  • Gregory A. Freeman : Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It . William Morrow, New York City, 2002. ISBN 978-0-06-621267-8
  • Isaak M. Korotkin : Maritime accidents and disasters of warships . Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin, 1991. pp. 34-50. ISBN 3-327-01226-1
  • Brave Men of the USS Forrestal . In: US Naval Aviation News (Washington DC), Vol. 44, October 1967, pp. 7-11.

swell

  1. ↑ USS Forrestal - Directory of Victims (page accessed on June 9, 2008, page author: unknown, publishing organization: The Virtual Wall)
  2. ↑ http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/f/forrestal-cva-59.html

Coordinates: 19 ° 9 ′ 5 ″  N , 107 ° 23 ′ 5 ″  E

Web links

Commons : Forrestal Disaster  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files