FIRE ABOARD AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS FORRESTAL

Fire aboard aircraft carrier USS Forrestal

Off the coast of Vietnam, the supercarrier USS Forrestal was preparing to launch another round of strikes when disaster struck. A malfunction caused a rocket on a parked fighter to fire across the crowded flight deck, smashing into another jet loaded with fuel and bombs. The resulting fires, explosions, and shrapnel tore through aircraft, equipment, and the sailors struggling to fight the blaze. Smoke filled compartments below decks as damage-control parties battled heat and confusion to keep the ship afloat. By the time the flames were brought under control, one hundred thirty-four sailors were dead and many more wounded. Investigations after the fire exposed flaws in ordnance handling, training, and protective gear on carriers of the era. The Forrestal disaster drove sweeping reforms in firefighting doctrine, equipment, and deck procedures, changes that would save lives on later deployments and shape how the Navy thought about survivability at sea.