A fire on USS Forrestal (CV 59) killed 134 service members on this July 29th, 1967:



The deadly fire on began with the accidental launch of a rocket.

On the morning of July 29, while conducting combat operations off the coast of North Vietnam, the ship was preparing to attack when a rocket from one of its own F-4 Phantom jet fighters was accidentally launched. The rocket streaked across the deck and hit a parked A-4 Skyhawk jet. The Skyhawk, which was waiting to take off, was piloted by John McCain, the current senator from Arizona.

Fuel spilled from the Skyhawk, caught fire, and then spread to nearby planes, detonating a 1,000-pound bomb, which killed many of the initial firefighters and further spread the fire. A chain reaction of explosions blew holes in the flight deck and had half the large ship on fire at one point. Many pilots were trapped in their planes as the fire spread. It took a full day before the fires could be fully contained.

Hundreds of Sailors were seriously injured and 134 lost their lives and 20 planes were destroyed in the devastating fire. It was the worst loss of a life on a U.S. Navy ship since World War II. Temporary repairs were made to the ship in the Philippines before Forrestal headed back to Norfolk, Va. It was repaired and put back into service the following April, but never returned to Vietnam.