What was America's worst rocket related accident ?- was Ed Givens

On 4 Dec 2003 18:04:18 GMT, Andrew Gray
wrote:

Okay. What was America's worst rocket related accident with the
greatest loss of life?

As part of the US space program?

Two technicians were killed in Columbia in March '81, although this
isn't really "rocket related". I have very hazy memories of a SRM
test
which involved fatalities, and equally hazy ones involving someone
dying
during VAB construction, but neither of these are sourceable.


On August 9, 1965 a fire in a Titan 2 silo near Little Rock, Arkansas
killed 53-workers. There were 2 survivors.


http://www.rootsweb.com/~arwhite/wch...His_Story.html


The accident story is also reported in, "Titan II: A History of a Cold
War Missile Program" by David K. Stumpf.


- Rusty Barton

"Rusty B" wrote...

On August 9, 1965 a fire in a Titan 2 silo near Little Rock, Arkansas
killed 53-workers. There were 2 survivors.

But did that involve a rocket? I was under the impression that the silo was
under construction at the time and no missile was in the silo.

Jim Davis

"Rusty B" wrote...

On August 9, 1965 a fire in a Titan 2 silo near Little Rock, Arkansas
killed 53-workers. There were 2 survivors.

But did that involve a rocket? I was under the impression that the silo was
under construction at the time and no missile was in the silo.

Jim Davis

In article ,
Jim Davis wrote:
On August 9, 1965 a fire in a Titan 2 silo near Little Rock, Arkansas
killed 53-workers. There were 2 survivors.

But did that involve a rocket? I was under the impression that the silo was
under construction at the time and no missile was in the silo.

No, that was an operational silo, with a fueled missile in it (although
the warhead had been removed because civilian workers were in the silo).
The silo was being overhauled to improve hardening and to upgrade various
subsystems.

A difficult structural welding job was being done in close proximity to
hydraulic lines, and accidental damage to a hydraulic line released a
spray of hydraulic fluid, which ignited. Worse, although the weld rig in
question was electric, there was an oxyacetylene torch rig nearby, with
the torch shut off but the cylinder valves open, and the fire quickly
burned through its hoses.

Most of the workers died of anoxia or smoke inhalation; the two who
survived basically were near exits and got out fast. Ventilation of the
silo was not great to begin with, and parts of the ventilation system were
inoperative due to modifications in progress. Safety precautions taken
for the modification work were generally inadequate: not enough escape
routes, not enough protective gear, inadequate safety supervision, too
many people doing too many different things in a confined space. Even
precautions that *were* supposed to be taken weren't, e.g. a number of the
dead had cigarettes and lighters in their pockets.
--
MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec | Henry Spencer
pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well. |

In article ,
Jim Davis wrote:
On August 9, 1965 a fire in a Titan 2 silo near Little Rock, Arkansas
killed 53-workers. There were 2 survivors.

But did that involve a rocket? I was under the impression that the silo was
under construction at the time and no missile was in the silo.

No, that was an operational silo, with a fueled missile in it (although
the warhead had been removed because civilian workers were in the silo).
The silo was being overhauled to improve hardening and to upgrade various
subsystems.

A difficult structural welding job was being done in close proximity to
hydraulic lines, and accidental damage to a hydraulic line released a
spray of hydraulic fluid, which ignited. Worse, although the weld rig in
question was electric, there was an oxyacetylene torch rig nearby, with
the torch shut off but the cylinder valves open, and the fire quickly
burned through its hoses.

Most of the workers died of anoxia or smoke inhalation; the two who
survived basically were near exits and got out fast. Ventilation of the
silo was not great to begin with, and parts of the ventilation system were
inoperative due to modifications in progress. Safety precautions taken
for the modification work were generally inadequate: not enough escape
routes, not enough protective gear, inadequate safety supervision, too
many people doing too many different things in a confined space. Even
precautions that *were* supposed to be taken weren't, e.g. a number of the
dead had cigarettes and lighters in their pockets.
--
MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec | Henry Spencer
pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well. |

"Henry Spencer" wrote in message
...

Most of the workers died of anoxia or smoke inhalation;

thank God for that at least...

--
Terrell Miller


"Very often, a 'free' feedstock will still lead to a very expensive system.
One that is quite likely noncompetitive"
- Don Lancaster

"Henry Spencer" wrote in message
...

Most of the workers died of anoxia or smoke inhalation;

thank God for that at least...

--
Terrell Miller


"Very often, a 'free' feedstock will still lead to a very expensive system.
One that is quite likely noncompetitive"
- Don Lancaster

In article ,
Terrell Miller wrote:
Most of the workers died of anoxia or smoke inhalation;

thank God for that at least...

Actually, if they'd had self-contained breathing gear or adequate masks,
most of them probably would have not been badly hurt. The missile did
not explode or leak, and the fire was relatively localized.
--
MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec | Henry Spencer
pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well. |

In article ,
Terrell Miller wrote:
Most of the workers died of anoxia or smoke inhalation;

thank God for that at least...

Actually, if they'd had self-contained breathing gear or adequate masks,
most of them probably would have not been badly hurt. The missile did
not explode or leak, and the fire was relatively localized.
--
MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec | Henry Spencer
pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well. |

(Henry Spencer) wrote:

Safety precautions taken
for the modification work were generally inadequate:

Inadequate by 1965 standards or 2003 standards?

D.
--
The STS-107 Columbia Loss FAQ can be found
at the following URLs:

Text-Only Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq.html

Enhanced HTML Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq_x.html

Corrections, comments, and additions should be
e-mailed to , as well as posted to
sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle for
discussion.