What begins as a manageable fire spirals into hell in under two minutes. Captured by the PLAT camera aboard USS *Forrestal*, this reel shows the early moments of the July 29, 1967 disaster. At first, it looks containable—just smoke and fire on the deck, hoses on it very quickly. But at 1:45, all hell breaks loose. Explosions ripple across the flight deck. Flames roar through fuel and ordnance. The men standing there vanish. Watch closely—one of the jets struck is piloted by Lt. John McCain. He l

In 1967, the USS Forrestal was involved in a catastrophic fire and series of explosions in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War on July 29th. The incident was caused by an electrical surge that triggered a rocket to fire, which struck another aircraft, causing a fire that spread and led to multiple explosions, resulting in 134 deaths and 161 injuries. Date: July 29, 1967 Location: Gulf of Tonkin, during the Vietnam War Cause: An electrical surge caused a Zuni rocket to fire from an F-4B Pha

On July 29, 1967, a catastrophic fire erupted on the flight deck of the USS Forrestal CVA-59 while it was operating off the coast of North Vietnam. #fblifestyle | MilitaryPhotoDepot