What many people don't know is that in 1960, there was a missile explosion in the Soviet Union, and when the R16 intercontinental missile was about to launch, more than 140 tons of fuel were ignited because of a circuit failure, and more than 160 missile experts died on the spot under the raging fire. At that time, during the white-hot period of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the United States seized the opportunity to ridicule the Soviet Union after learning about the incident.
However, 20 years later, a similar incident occurred in the United States, when a missile base in Arkansas exploded in 1980, and hundreds of American troops and experts were engulfed in flames with a loud bang, caused by a wrench drop.
September 18, 1980, was destined to be an unusual day. On that day, the US military planned to conduct exercises on intercontinental missile launches. On the eve of the launch, the staff found a malfunction during the inspection, and there was a problem with the oxidizer tank of the missile, which, if not treated, would lead to the leakage of the oxidizer, and the consequences would be unimaginable. After the staff reported to the superiors, two maintenance personnel came to deal with it, and they entered the missile silo with their hands and feet, and when they were preparing for repairs, they found that the wrench model was wrong.
The two thought that it was too troublesome to go up and down, so they could use it at once. Unexpectedly, disaster came, and in the process of repair, because the wrench was not very easy to use, it suddenly dropped. After falling to the bottom, it rebounded and smashed into the first stage fuel tank, instantly smashed out a hole, after the pressure in the tank was out of balance, a large amount of fuel gushed out, which is very dangerous at this time, pledging a little Mars exists, it will immediately detonate the missile, and its explosive power is enough to destroy a city.
Under such a huge pressure, the actual situation is getting worse and worse, because the fuel leakage produces a large amount of gas, the temperature in the silo is constantly rising, the oxidizer is affected by the high temperature, constantly expanding, and the tank containing the oxidizer also expands, and even threatens to stretch open. It's all fatal. To solve the problem, to minimize the danger, the best way is to release the internal gas, because the top cover is electric start, at this time there is no power caused by failure, can not be opened, then only the exhaust fan can be used.
The U.S. military thinks well, but a lot of things are out of control. Because of this decision, it led to an explosion. Because the exhaust fan starts with electricity, and electricity will produce sparks, so when the spark meets the gas released by the fuel inside, it immediately causes an explosion, which explodes unexpectedly, affecting the entire launch base, and those maintenance personnel who are closer are directly killed, engulfed in fire, and eventually hundreds of people die. Fortunately, the nuclear warhead did not explode, but was shocked to 100 meters away, otherwise the impact would have been greater.
The accident was caused entirely by personnel error, not by the ICBM itself. After this accident, huge losses were caused to the United States, the launch site was destroyed, everything needed to be rebuilt, and many weapons in the base were also affected, and the pollution caused by the explosion also affected the local environment to a certain extent. This matter was also quickly known to the world, and the United States also lost face this time.