posted 05-30-2011 03:22 PM               

A total of 46 people were sent to the hospital for observation, most suffering from inhalation of toxic fumes. Most seriously injured was a technician that suffered a fractured kneecap when the GSE cart overturned on him.

A hole was blown in the hangar roof 250 feet above, about 40 windows in the hanger were shattered and the Apollo 16 command module suffered a three inch gash in one of its panels. From the Google newspaper archive,

• 46 injured in Apollo 16 explosion - Lodi News Sentinel newspaper, May 8, 1972

  Story continued in later section of same newspaper.

• Apollo blast: 46 hurt - Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, May 9, 1972

posted 12-29-2020 02:13 PM               

A spokesman for NASA Manned Spacecraft Center said the investigation board so far has seen no relation between the accident and procedural changes in the Apollo 16 landing in which the reaction control system fuel and oxidizer residuals were kept on board the spacecraft instead of being jettisoned before splashdown.

posted 03-23-2024 03:07 PM               

At the naval station's photo lab where I was assigned, I loaded up my camera with film and proceeded to walk about 75 yards, across the street to where the Apollo capsule was being defueled. The capsule was placed in a huge hangar which normally houses six aircraft. One aircraft was taken out of the hangar in order to place the capsule safely protected.

As I approached the capsule, I had to show my ID to the Marine guard protecting the capsule from prying eyes. After taking photos, I walked back to the photo lab. Once inside the lab, I began to take out the film. That's when I heard the most incredible explosion, the loudest sound I ever heard, and to this day (I'm 76 years old), it still is the loudest sound I've heard. In fact, that blast was heard eight miles away.

I thought to myself, "aircraft are not allowed to fly faster than sound which produces a sonic boom, over a city, that is." Then, "I thought... THE CAPSULE!" I looked out the lab's window towards the hangar where the capsule was placed. I saw bright, vivid red smoke emitting from the side of the hangar. That same color red as seen on "I Dream Of Jeannie" when she appears and disappears into her bottle.

I then, quickly, loaded up my camera with film and extra rolls of film to capture the event.

As I entered the hangar, there were people laying on the ground, from the concussion of the explosion. Luckily, none of them were his with shrapnel. As I started to take photos, the fire department arrived. The fire captain shouted to me to "STOP TAKING PICTURES!!!" "Why?" I asked him. He said the electronic flash I was using might trigger another explosion. So, I unplugged my flash and continued to take photos.

There were, based on news reports, 46 injured and taken to the hospital, due to fuel/fumes from the rocket fuel. I was the 47th victim, but I continued to take photos and never went to the hospital.

After taking enough to capture the event, I walked back over to my lab, unloaded the exposed shots I took. During this unloading of film, I was called to the front desk of the lab. I was greeted by a gentleman from United Press International (UPI). He wanted my photos to put in the newspapers (local and around the world). He asked for three of my best shots. I obliged and proceeded to print up the best shots and presented the UPI guy with the photos.

I was given the next day off for the extraordinary day I had the day before. Living off base, I woke up and drove down to a local restaurant to have breakfast and at the entrance of the restaurant was a newspaper stand. Low and behold, my photo was on the front page of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. I placed a quarter in the slot, got a paper out and I still have that same paper today.

posted 03-24-2024 09:50 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Buel:
What chemicals caused this?

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posted 03-24-2024 10:54 AM               

Each hangar is 90 feet in height. The walls and ceiling and roof eight inch thick concrete. When the defueling device exploded it sent shrapnel everywhere, embedding pieces in the walls and into the five planes inside that hangar.

Shrapnel also hit one of the CO2 tanks (5½ feet tall) standing next to the defueling device, ripping off one of the tank's bottle's valves. Just like puncturing a hobby CO2 cartridge and watching it fly in any direction, this tank then flew up towards the hangar's ceiling, puncturing a hole in its eight inch thick concrete and now all were able to see sky through that hole.

It was also mentioned that the power of the explosion sent this huge hangar up and off its foundation and settling back down again. But, this was not verified, that I know of.