Accidents with Nukes
Don't ask how the topic of conversation wandered round to this today, but my boss dug this link up, which will likely convince you that people should not be trusted with anything more dangerous than a pair of scissors.
"Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, recorded a message that one of its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles was about to launch from its silo due to a computer malfunction. To prevent the possible launch, an armored car was parked on top of the silo."
Also loving the categories of accidents from "Broken Arrow" to "Faded Giant".
(, Tue 19 May 2009, 0:14, Reply)
Theres a Cristian Slater film called Broken Arrow i remember
there a bit where a guy purposfully drives his car into a train..
I cant remember whether I enjoyed it or not.. probably did as i was a youngen
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Jorvic, Tue 19 May 2009, 0:36,
Reply)
holy crap
some of them are good (or should it be terrible?)
1980:
Fuel vapors from a Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) exploded in the missile's silo, blowing off the 740-ton silo door of reinforced concrete and steel and catapulting the missile's nuclear warhead 600 feet. The accident occurred when an Air Force repairman dropped a heavy wrench socket that struck the missile, causing a leak in the missile's pressurized fuel tank
how fucking heavy was that wrench? i've bought plastic fuel cans from the local petrol station that can survive a spanner dropping on them...you'd hope the walls of a nuclear missile would be stronger than a 5lt petrol jug from tescos.
yes, yes, power to weight ratio for distance, but you'd have to draw the line somewhere. I would draw the line at missiles exploding if you drop a spanner on them.
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KittyWaste lives at Sleepingplanet.com, Tue 19 May 2009, 0:38,
Reply)
I'm speaking out of ignorance here, but..
I'm under the impression that missiles are tall and silos are deep, so the spanner could have fallen a long way before it hit the missile (and been going pretty fast).
(, Tue 19 May 2009, 1:22, Reply)
I like the idea of litraly drawing a line..
you hear about the wrench incident
march down to the UN, and in a very paternal manner, berate them all with
"Now look, you clearly cant be trusted with these, come on, hand them over.. yes you as well isreal, i can see youve got them hidden behind your back.. right... thankyou.. you'll get these back when you've poven you can look after them, for now I'm locking them in the shed..."
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Jorvic, Tue 19 May 2009, 1:34,
Reply)
May 22, 2009, Scarborough. UK
A shedload of nuclear weapons melted a hole 3 miles down to the Earth's core after a cat chased a squirrel in through a hole in the roof and knocked all the cores out into a wheelbarrow that had some old onions in it.
Thankfully, a couple of tons of concrete and some decking later, the hole was filled in and covered nicely.
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Professor Fnord Regius Professor of B3ta Chronology, Tue 19 May 2009, 1:45,
Reply)
May 22, 1957, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
A nuclear weapon without its fissile core fell from the bomb bay of a B-36 at an altitude of 1,700 feet and exploded upon impact. The bomber was transporting both the weapon and its fissile core, which had been removed for safety...
I'm glad someone was awake in the Health & Safety meetings ;)
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Professor Fnord Regius Professor of B3ta Chronology, Tue 19 May 2009, 1:38,
Reply)
Yikes
"The accident was apparently so serious that it was reported to newly-elected President John F. Kennedy."
... and then they told him there had been 60 other incidents since WWII (presumably never reported to the president at the time.
Tinfoil hat time...
(, Tue 19 May 2009, 9:15, Reply)