This article is not about the supposed wet start some here are discussing, but a different scenario. The article says that the missile fired accidentally and hit the plane next to McCain, and also that it knocked two bombs off McCain’s plane.
Some claim that there was no evidence that the missile knocked bombs off McCain’s plane, but that it had to have been “pilot error”, or McCain somehow hit the controls to detach the bombs as he escaped from his plane.
And it was supposedly those bombs that started the worst of the conflagration aboard the Forrestal.
To:
US Navy Vet I hope you do not mind my adding HTML code. I've long wondered about the circumstances and vaguely recall that McCaon was not to blame. Though one national talk show hosts has insisted that it was McCain' fault. Doesn't look like to me.
Ok on the day that this tragic event occurred
- the Forrestal was conducting Pretty "Routine" Flight Operations in support of Operations off of the coast of N. Viet Nam(Yankee Station);
- when all of a sudden(MY OPINION)
- probably had something to do with and electrical "surge" or
- maybe the safety pin was not in the proper position)
- a Zuni 5 Inch Rocket(See the Flight Deck spot Drawing(with chronology) from F-4B Aircraft Number 110 fired and
- went across the Flight Deck Striking and
- detonating A-4E Number 405(LCDR White) and
- the resultant fire and explosion occurred under and
- on LCDR John S. McCain's A-4E number 416.
The Bombs [that] were placed on both A-4E's were
- VERY Old and
- were not up the even mid-1960's safety standards,
- they were of possibly early 1950s or
- maybe even 1940s "standards" and
- nonetheless
- had been sitting in storage at Naval Magazine Facility Subic Bay/Cubi Point Republic of the Philippines and
- [had] deteriorated over the years due to
- Heat/Humidity and
- just plain time.
The Bombs that were "issued" to the Forrestal
- were in particularity bad shape
- (they were "rusted" and
- had some of the explosive substance leaking out of them
- (making them EXTERMLY unstable and
- VERY EXPLOSVIVE)
- (also these bomb were of a "thin-skin" variety making them VERY susceptible to "Cook-Off").
NO ONE,
- not the Ship's CO,
- The Carrier Air Wing Ordinance Officer(CAG Gunner),
- The Squadron CO's,
- Air Crews,
- Flight Deck Crews,
- Ordinance People
- NO ONE wanted to use these bombs;
- (The Ship's CO tried to send them back but the Ammunition Ship wouldn't take them back
- (there were NO other bombs "in theatre" available to ANY of the carriers at that time to accomplish missions;
- So these substandard bombs were issued to the squadrons and
- loaded on the bombers(A-4Es).
Any way
- when the Zuni hit LCDR White's(he later died of this) A-4
- it caused an fuel deluge and
- it "Cooked-Off" the bomb(substandard one) and
- spread to LCDR McCain's A-4E(I don't where all of this "Wet-Start" SH!T came from)
- (McCain also had one of these substandard bombs(yes it a little later "Cooked-Off" as well).
McCain saw all of this and
- get out of his A-4E and
- "crawled" onto the Aircraft's "Refueling Rod
- (these are about maybe 10 or 12 feet on of the Deck)"
and - dropped Clear of the developing carnage;
- Once all of this had occurred
- the die was cast and
- the Forrestal was in DEEP TROUBLE!
32 posted on
7/23/2015, 2:05:05 PM by
WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)