ROCKET TESTER - UPDATE !!! 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
To whom it may concern.....
I contacted the U.S. Army Safety Center located on Ft. Rucker, Alabama. I was interested if in fact the story ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Read on, and decide for yourselves if the ROCKET TESTER story I submitted to you merits being moved from "slush pile" to DARWIN AWARD!!!!
Thanks for your consideration,
Eric T. Deem
Dear Mr. Deam:
Attached is releasable information regarding an accident we've identified as possibly being the accident you've described.
VR,
Vickie Hendrix
Freedom of Information Act Officer
U.S. Army Safety Center
From:
Eric T. Deem[SMTP:VEXORG@MINDSPRING.COM]
Sent:
Friday, September 27, 2002 7:43:38 AM
To:
HelpDesk
Subject:
Database of safety incidents and reports
CASE_NUMBER ARMY_CLASSIFICATION PRIMARY_ACCIDENT_DESC MACOM_ABBV UNIT_ABBV
19830608001
A Personal Injury - Other FORSCOM
ACCIDENT_DESCRIPTION
A Class A accident occurred on June 08,1983.
SEQUENCE_OF_EVENTS
AN ELEMENT OF CO E, 505TH BN 82ND AIRBORNE DIV WAS SCHEDULED TO FAMILIARIZE WITH THE LAW
72A2, USING 35MM SUB CALIBER PRACTICE AMMUNITION, AT RANGE 65 ON 8 JUN. THE CO
COMMANDER, WHO ASSIGNED LT MCCARTHY AS THE RANGE OIC & LT MCCARTHY INTURN DESIGNATED HIS
PLT SGT, SSG PARKER AS RANGE SAFETY OFFICER. HOWEVER, DUE TO OTHER COMPANY REQUIREMENTS
THE COMMANDER REPLACED SSG PARKER, AS DESIGNATED SAFETY OFFICER, WITH SGT LOWE. UPON
ARRIVAL AT RANGE 65, APPROX 0815 HRS, LT MCCARTHY ASSIGNED SGT LOWE & A 3 MAN DETAIL TO
PUT THE MOVING TARGET INTO OPERATION. FINDING THE CARRIER, TARGET & AMMUNITION WERE NOT
ON THE RANGE, SGT LOWE, SP4 BOYNTON, SP4 CHATELAIN & PVT WARD DEPARTED THE RANGE TO
OBTAIN THE AMMUNITION & EQUIPMENT. AS THEY WERE DEPARTING MR. WAGNER, FROM RANGE CONTROL,
ARRIVED WITH THE TARGET CARRIER. SP4 ROBERTSON ACCOMPANIED MR. WAGNER TO THE CARRIER
TRACK TO GET INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO OPERATE THE CARRIER. DURING THIS TIME, LT MCCARTHY WAS
CONDUCTING A CLASS ON FIRING THE M73 35MM SUB CALIBER WEAPON WITH SEVEN OF THE TWELVE MEN
SCHEDULTED TO FIRE FOR FAMILIARIZATION. SGT LOWE & HIS DETAIL RETURNED AT APPROX 0945 &
PROCEEDED TO READY THE MOVING TARGET. INSTALLATION OF THE TARGET ON THE CARRIER WAS
HAMPERED BY THE ABSENCE OF PROPER TOOLS. THE DETAIL, WHICH NOW INCLUDED SP4 ROBERTSON,
WAS USING A STEEL TENT PEG AS A HAMMER TO NAIL THE TARGET TO THE CARRIER. AFTER
INSTALLATION SP4 CHATELAIN & SP4 ROBERTSON RODE THE CARRIER DOWN THE TRACK TO CHECK THE
OPERATION OF THE MOVING TARGET. APPROX 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE TRACK A GUST OF WIND
CAUGHT THE TARGET & BLEW IT OFF THE CARRIER. SGT LOWE, SP4 BOYNTON & PVT WARD WALKED
TOWARD THE CARRIER TO ASSIST IN REINSTALLATION OF THE TARGET. AFTER PROCEEDING A SHORT
DISTANCE BOYNTON RETURNED TO THE TRUCK TO SEE IF HE COULD FIND ANY NAILS TO RESECURE THE
TARGET. AS SGT LOWE & PVT WARD WERE CONTINUING, SGT LOWE SPOTTED & PICKED UP A M72A2 66MM
LAW DUD ROUND WITH THE OGIVE (NOSE SECTION) MISSING. SP4 ROBERTSON SEEING SGT LOWE WITH
THE ROUND ASKED SGT LOWE TO GET IT AWAY FROM HIM. SGT LOWE REPLIED BY SAYING ITS JUST AN
OLD DUD & BEGAN TO STRIKE IT WITH THE STEEL TENT PEG. THE SECOND STRIKE TRIPPED THE GRAZE
SENSITIVE FEATURE OF THE FUSE CAUSING THE ROUND TO EXPLODE. THE EXPLOSION TORE OFF SGT
LOWES LEFT ARM, PARTS OF HIS RIGHT HAND & INFLICTED FATAL WOUNDS TO THE LUNGS & ABDOMINAL
AREA. PVT WARD WAS THROWN 14 FEET INTO A DITCH & RECEIVED SUPERFICIAL SHRAPNEL WOUNDS.
SP4 CHATELAIN RECEIVED FRAGMENT WOUNDS TO THE NECK AREA THAT REQUIRED EXPLORATORY
SURGERY. SP4 ROBERTSON RECEIVED MULTIPLE FRAGMENT WOUNDS & WAS TREATED & RELEASED. SP4
BOYNTON WAS OUT OF THE FRAGMENT PATTERN & DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INJURIES. THE ACDT OCCURRED
AT APPROX 1012 HRS. RANGE CONTROL WAS NOTIFIED VIA RADIO AT 1017 HRS BY LT MCCARTHY.
RANGE CONTROL COORDINATED THE MEDICAL EVACUATION. THE MEDEVAC AIRCRAFT ARRIVED ON THE
SCENE AT 1029, & DEPARTED AT 1040 ENROUTE TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SGT LOWE, SP4 CHATELAIN,
SP4 ROBERTSON & PVT WARD. SGT LOWE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD UPON ARRIVAL.
Submitted on 10/02/2002
Submitted by:
Eric T. Deem
Reference:
U.S. ARMY SAFETY CENTER REPORT
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