1967 — July 29, USS Forrestal deck jet rocket fires, hits plane, fire, explosion, Tonkin Gulf, Vietnam–134

— 143 Baugher. US Navy…Marine Corps BuNos Third…(145062 to 150138). 10-28-2011.
— 134 Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, pp. 94-95.
— 134 History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, July 29, 1967. Rocket Causes Deadly Fire…
— 134 NavSource Online. “The Forrestal Fire, July 29, 1966. Ship’s Logs.” 11-14-2011 update.
— 131 NFPA. “The Major Fires of 1967.” Fire Journal, Vol. 62, No. 3, May 1968, p. 5.
— 129 Delaware Co. Times, Chester, PA. “Death Toll Climbs to 129…Forrestal…” 7-31-‘67, 1.

Narrative Information

Baugher: “149284 (RVAH-11) destroyed in fire on USS Forrestal in Gulf of Tonkin Jul 29, 1967. During preparations for launch, a Mk 32 Zuni rocket accidentally fired and struck an A-4E external wing-mounted fuel tank causing fires and bombs to explode. 143 killed, 161 injured, 21 aircraft lost.” (Baugher. US Navy…Marine…BuNos Third Series (145062 to 150138). 10-28-2011.)

Gero:
“Date: 29 July 1967 (c.11:00)
“Location: Gulf of Tonkin (USS Forrestal)
“Operator: US Navy
“Aircraft type: McDonnell F-4B (153061)

“This aviation/marine disaster occurred during the height of the American involvement in the war in South-east Asia. On this day, the naval aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59) was operating off the coast of North Vietnam, preparing for an air strike against targets in that nation. Its location at the time was approximately 175 miles (280km) north of Dan Nang, South Vietnam. The vessel had turned into the wind on a launch course of almost due north when a Zuni rocket mounted on 153061 was accidentally fired from its launcher. Crossing the flight deck, the Zuni struck another combat jet, an A-4E, which was located on the port side of the carrier, some 100 ft (30m) away, also being readied for launch. That aircraft’s 400 gallon (1,500l) fuel tank was ruptured, touching off a fire and the beginning of a holocaust. The burning fuel was spread aft and fanned by a 32-knot wind as well as the exhausts of three other jets that had their engines running. The first of seven explosions that further spread the flames occurred about 90 seconds after the start of the blaze, when a bomb that had fallen from an aircraft detonated. The conflagration was fed by some 40,000 gallons (150,000l) of JP-5 jet fuel. The last of the flames on the deck were extinguished in less than an hour, but scattered fires continued to burn in other parts of the ship until early the following morning. The final toll in the disaster was 134 men killed, including the pilot of the aircraft hit by the rocket, and 161 injured. Miraculously, all but four of the 20 men who jumped, fell or got thrown overboard were rescued. Of the 21 jets destroyed – three RA-5Cs, seven F-4Bs and 11 A-4Es – four had to be jettisoned over the side of the vessel because they were afire or leaking fuel. Another 40 aircraft sustained damage. Total costs exceeded $70 million.

“An investigation revealed that the initial firing of the Zuni rocket resulted from simultaneous material failures of aircraft and armament components of 153061 and its loaded ordnance stores, in conjunction with human error. Specifically, the pilot of the F-4B may have triggered the firing by superimposing enough transient voltage upon the existing stray voltage when he switched from external to internal electrical power preparatory to starting the aircraft’s left engine, having already started the right one. Alternatively, two members of the weapons loading team could have been responsible for it by either arming the safety switch while checking whether the safety pin was securely in place or by mistakenly placing the three-point home/step toggle switch located at the rear of the triple ejector rack in the ‘stepping’ rather than ‘homing’ position after the rocket launchers had been plugged in and the shorting device on one of the other two launchers been faulty. Contributing to the unplanned rocket launch was the defective design of the pylon electrical disconnect, which proved to be susceptible to shoring by moisture, and the poor and outdated doctrinal and technical documentation of both ordnance and aircraft equipment and procedures, which were evident at all levels of command. One endorsement in the investigative report concluded that the Zuni would probably not have fired had the rocket harness cable that made the electrical connection between it and the launcher not been plugged in until 153061 was on the catapult, in accordance with prescribed regulations, although this was considered a vague directive. Among the recommendations made in the report was the immediate discontinuation of use of the type launcher involved until modifications could be carried out and the issuance of directives outlining precise procedures for conducting rocket firing circuit stray voltage checks.” (Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, pp. 94-95.)

History.com: “A fire on a United States Navy carrier stationed off the coast of Vietnam kills 134 service members on this day in 1967. The deadly fire on the USS Forrestal began with the accidental launch of a rocket.

“During the Vietnam War, the USS Forrestal was often stationed off the coast of North Vietnam, conducting combat operations. On the morning of July 29, the ship was preparing to attack when a rocket from one of its own F-4 Phantom jet fighters was accidentally launched. The rocket streaked across the deck and hit a parked A-4 Skyhawk jet. The Skyhawk, which was waiting to take off, was piloted by John McCain, the future senator from Arizona.

“Fuel from the Skyhawk spilled out and caught fire. The fire then spread to nearby planes on the ship’s deck and detonated a 1,000-pound bomb, which killed many of the initial firefighters and further spread the fire. A chain reaction of explosions blew holes in the flight deck and had half the large ship on fire at one point. Many pilots were trapped in their planes as the fire spread. It took a full day before the fires could be fully contained.

“Hundreds of sailors were seriously injured and 134 lost their lives in the devastating fire. Twenty planes were destroyed. It was the worst loss of a life on a U.S. Navy ship since World War II. Temporary repairs were made to the ship in the Philippines before the Forrestal headed back to Norfolk, Virginia. It was repaired and put back into service the following April, but never returned to Vietnam.

“John McCain narrowly escaped the fire and, afterwards, volunteered for duty on the USS Oriskany. Just three months later, his plane was shot down over North Vietnam and he was taken prisoner. He was not released until five-and-a-half years later, in 1973.” (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, July 29, 1967. Rocket Causes Deadly Fire on Aircraft Carrier.”)

Newspaper

July 31: “Subic Bay, Philippines (AP) – Officers of the carrier Forrestal reported tonight 129 men had been killed and 7 were still unaccounted for in the fire and bomb explosions that ripped the ship in the Gulf of Tonkin Saturday. Sixty-seven were injured….

July 31: “Aboard the Carrier Forrestal off Vietnam (AP) – The fireballs that hopped and tumbled toward Lt. James J. Campbell were men, and he stood transfixed beneath the white body of an F4 Phantom jet until he heard their screams. Then Campbell and scores of other Navy men preparing the jet planes for strikes against North Vietnam flung themselves on the fireballs that seconds earlier had been their buddies. ‘We rolled on them, dived on them. Anything to get the fires out,’ said Campbell, from Homestead, Pa. ‘Some of the guys were burning from head to foot. I got the fire on the top part of a man’s body out, but his legs were still burning as the medics carried him away. ‘They were screaming and writhing and as their planes burned up we saw ‘the big bombs fall to the flight deck, glowing red.’

“The young officer was in the midst of the worst U. S. Navy disaster in a combat zone since World War II. He was at the after end of the flight deck of the 76,000-ton carrier Forrestal, that had steamed into the Gulf of Tonkin five days earlier to join the war against the Communists.

“A pilot poised to participate in the war had probably the first intimation that disaster was imminent Saturday. He was Lt. Cmdr. John S. McCain Jr. of Washington, D.C., a graying 30 and the son of the chief of U. S. naval forces in Europe. Hunched over the controls of his A4 Skyhawk, he was third in line from the catapult that was to blast his and the other planes off to North Vietnam…. A loud explosion shook McCain. ‘I thought my aircraft had exploded. I looked out and fuel was spilling over the flight deck. Flame was behind me and in front of me. I thrust open my canopy and edged out along my refueling pole. The flames were 10 feet deep around the plane.’ McCain jumped 10 feet to the deck and rolled through the fire, scorching his light tan flight suit. ‘I rolled clear and moved toward the starboard side. I looked back and saw another pilot leaving his plane. Then he fell into the fire, he was burning. I ran toward him,’ McCain said. ‘Then I saw a chief repairman come up. He ran right past me into the fire toward the pilot carrying a fire extinguisher. Then the first bomb went off. We were blown all over the place. The pilot, the repairman, they disappeared.’

“Crouching by a Phantom jet as McCain jumped was Lt. (j.g.) Lee V. Twyford of Arlington, Va. He ran toward the pilot. Two men manning a hose passed him. The first bomb detonated. Twyford said he was flung to the ground. The hose was torn and spilled water on the deck. The two men carrying the hose had been killed. As Twyford lay on the deck, he saw a man hobble by. ‘He had no clothes, he had no skin. I tried to help him but I found I was hit in the ankle. I crawled down below,’ Twyford said.

“Alarm bells jangled through-out the 1,039-foot length of the carrier, echoing throughout the massive structure that, from her keel to the top of her mast, is as tall as a 25-story building.

“Rear Adm. Harvey P. Lanham, commander of Task Force 77.6, was in his quarters. ‘I dashed for the bridge,’ the admiral said. ‘Through constant practice I knew the time it took — one minute and 50 seconds. I heard two violent explosions on the way to the bridge. ‘When I looked down on the aft deck it was engulfed in flames. As I peered out through the thick plexiglass the bosun grabbed my arm and said, ‘Get away from that window, it’s not safe.’ As I dropped down, another explosion shook the ship. A large piece of shrapnel crashed through the plexiglass where my face was.’

“The Forrestal’s skipper, Capt. John K. Beling of Harrington Park, N.J., was in his cabin when the general quarters alarm sounded. He ran to the bridge shirtless and slowed the ship down….”
(Delaware County Daily Times, Chester, PA. “Death Toll Climbs to 129; 67 Hurt in Forrestal Fire.” Monday, 7-31-1967, p. 1.)

NavSource Online, Saturday, July 29, 1967: “The tragic fire began with the accidental launching of a Zuni rocket from a F-4B Phantom aircraft. This rocket launch was not the result of error on the part of the crew. The rocket streaked across the flight deck and struck the external fuel tank of an A-4E Skyhawk aircraft, spilling volatile aviation fuel across the flight deck. Within five seconds the fuel ignited, spreading under other aircraft loaded with ordnance and fueled for the second launch of that morning. Huge clouds of black smoke billowed three hundred feet into the air. Scores of flight deck personnel rushed to contain the spread of the flames from reaching thirteen adjoining aircraft all loaded with ordnance. In one minute and thirty-four seconds after the fire started, the first 1000 lb. bomb exploded. Flying shrapnel tore into other aircraft, ruptured more fuel tanks, and spread lakes of flaming aviation fuel over the deck. In a period of four minutes, seven major high order explosions shook the entire ship ripping seven huge holes through the thick armored steel flight deck with some reaching through the ship to the water line. Countless high and low order detonations continued. Some 40,000 gallons of jet plane fuel leaking from punctured aircraft fuel tanks, spread into holes ripped through the deck, spreading flames to many compartments far below the flight deck. Courageous fire-fighting teams, officers, and enlisted men were knocked down, injured, or killed by the series of explosions. Rockets, missiles, and 20 mm shells shot across the flight deck, and ejection seats fired into the air. Twelve minutes after the last major explosion, but with minor explosions continuing, flight deck directors moved aircraft from near the island super structure while fire-fighting teams kept the fire from advancing farther forward. Aircraft, some still in flames, were jettisoned in an effort to keep the fire from spreading. Fires continued out of control in the after part of the ship far into the night. Finally the fire was extinguished at 0400, 30 July 1967. Heroic crewmembers risked life and limb to battle the blaze, rescue fellow crewmembers and save their ship.

“The crew of over 5,000 men saved their ship. One Hundred Thirty-four crewmembers made the supreme sacrifice. One hundred sixty-one men were injured with sixty-four personnel sustaining severe injuries.”
….
“Steaming as a unit of Attack Carrier Striking Group 77.6 in company with the USS Rupertus (DD-851) and USS Henry W. Tucker (DD- 875) on Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin, sixty miles off the coast of North Vietnam on course 090 at 12 knots. Senior Officer Afloat is Commander Attack Carrier Striking Group 77.6, Rear Admiral Harvey P. Lanham embarked in Forrestal as Commander Attack Carrier Striking Group composed of USS Forrestal, USS Rupertus, with Commander Destroyer Division Thirty-Two embarked, and USS Henry W. Tucker. Tactical Officer in Command is Captain John K. Beling. Destroyers in screen 3C2 with USS Henry W. Tucker in station one and USS Rupertus in station two….

“1052 Zuni rocket accidentally launches, striking an A-4E Skyhawk spotted on port side. Fuel of center line fuel tank begins leaking. Fuel tank erupts. Called away fire parties to man fog foam stations. Called away General Quarters. All hands manning General Quarters stations, setting material condition Zebra throughout the ship.

“1053.26 First 1,000-pound bomb explodes.

“1053.36 Second and third 1,000-pound bombs explode.

“1054.18 Fourth 1,000-pound bomb explodes.

“1054.20 Missile streaks forward….”

(NavSource Online. “The Forrestal Fire, July 29, 1966. Ship’s Logs.” 11-14-2011 update.

Sources

Baugher, Joseph F. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (145062 to 150138). Oct 28, 2011 revision. Accessed at: http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries18.html

Delaware County Daily Times, Chester, PA. “Death Toll Climbs to 129; 67 Hurt in Forrestal Fire.” 7-31-1967, 1. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=91061848

Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.

History.com. This Day in Disaster History, Disaster, July 29, 1967. “Rocket Causes Deadly Fire on Aircraft Carrier.” Accessed 12/08/2008 at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&displayDate=07/29&categoryId=disaster

National Fire Protection Association. “The Major Fires of 1967.” Fire Journal, Vol. 62, No. 3, May 1968, pp. 5-7.

NavSource Online. “The Forrestal Fire, July 29, 1966. Ship’s Logs.” 11-14-2011 update. Accessed 11-21-2011 at: http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/cv-59/59f-0729.htm