[beebuster2000]

there were at least four key elements of the accident:

-I had not appreciated until digging in the role of the dangerous and defective ordnance loaded on the ship days before. Outdated 1,000 pound iron bombs were known by the crew to be defective and suggested by lower ranks to be jettisoned over the side. Command decision was made to keep the ordnance and stack it on the deck. As the fire gained intensity, the bombs cooked off, with greatly enhanced explosive power, within minutes of heating, in variance to the one hour design cook off fire resistance time.

-the initial trigger for the fire was failure to follow procedure in securing an underwing rocket, which fired due to a power surge, hitting a fully loaded fuel and ordnance flight ready jet on deck.

-the initial cook of of the faulty ordnance killed the trained fire fighting crew.

-untrained sailors valiantly fought the fire, some hosing the deck with seawater, washing overboard the foam being spread by others. there was little back up training for fire crews in the event that the primary crew was unable to respond or was killed.

As a result of the fire, the Navy changed significant fire fighting protocols and it is now, apparently, mandatory to watch the film of the fire.

film posed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVgocdvcG0A

good article: https://maritime-executive.com/features/remembering-the-fire-on-uss-forrestal

[poconopundit]

It's an interesting case, beebuster.

I was a naval shipboard officer 1974 to 1983 stationed in the Pacific.

By that time, we had live firefighting on the naval base in San Diego and everybody had to go through a one day course.

Something I never forgot is the intense heat generated by a large fire. The technique used in my training was to have two fire hoses, each manned by a few sailors. One hose was for fighting the fire, and the second hose provided a protective shield of water for sailors fighting the fire.

To demonstrate the importance of the spray, for a moment the instructors would drop the protective spray to the ground at which point you immediately felt the intense heat on your face. Wow. The heat was so strong, your body reflexively recoiled back because you couldn't stand it.

Every school kid should go through such training. It gives you an appreciation for the bravery of real firefighters and the training itself is a great lesson in team building.

[mountainlion]

Sounds like they forgot all about McLaims habit of “wet starts”

[PapaBear3625]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVgocdvcG0A

Forestall fire film

[uncbob]

PS: there has always been rumor about McCain role in the fire, but there is no evidence whatsoever he did anything but narrowly escape from his burning jet, which was parked next to the initial ignited jet struck by the rocket.

Then why are you bringing it up ?

[exit82]

I am more interested in why McCain was on the very first helicopter off the Forrestal after the fire, when he was not wounded or burned in the fire.

[rlmorel]

Thanks for posting this, beebuster2000.

I hope this thread can be in the spirit in which you started it, and not devolve into a discussion about the Triads, Skull and Bones, or Traitor McCain. He was a bit player who was lucky to survive.

What he did before or after the accident is not germane to the discussion.

It should be about the men who fought to save their lives and their ship that day.

[Hardastarboard]

Thanks for posting the Youtube link. I was aware of the fire on the Forrestal, but had not seen that.

[Terry Mross]

We were shown the film in boot camp in 1969. And we all received fire training. I now wonder if it was because of the Forrestal fire.

[Captain Peter Blood]

This issue has been covered several times on FreeRepublic and it has been thoroughly debunked that McCain had anything to do with this. I refer back to this post by US Navy Vet on this thing: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3315753/posts I am no fan of McCain but this is not one of his screwups.