"Declassifying the Fate of USS Thresher" with CAPT Jim Bryant, USN (Ret.)

[@Jan-hx9rw]

Worked with a guy who had been a plank owner on Thresher and reassigned while it was finishing up the refit at PNSY. He knew almost everyone that went down. Even in the late 80s, it still ate him up. One of the nicest guys and hardest workers I knew. RIP, Woody.

[@cmedeir]

What would the cost be for a new microphone?

[@sequoyah59]

Would be a lot more interesting if it were not played back too fast and the microphone were better or even present.
What a shame.

[@kennethwise7108]

Irregardless of how it happened or what happened today we must reflect on the chain of events and pay our respects to the loss of the crew.

[@jordangouveia1863]

Adm Rickover, how many silver brazed SWJs in the reactor compartment failed the UT tests? Adm R none, I didn't allow sliver brazed SWJs in the reactor compartment.

[@yolamontalvan9502]

Someone has to die before the engineers do something. History is full of examples, Titanic, Thresher, Apollo 11, The Space Shuttle and many more.

[@jfen1494]

You mean listen to the engineers. Many engineers speak up but it is ignored

[@davidbacheler1399]

Apollo 11?

[@gandalfgreyhame3425]

Apollo 1 was the launchpad fire that killed three astronauts. Apollo 11 landed on the Moon successfully.

[@yolamontalvan9502]

@@davidbacheler1399 I meant Apollo 1 where Gus, White and Chafee died.

[@0biwan77]

Dream of the Drowned Submariner by Mark Knopfler

[@mikefochtman7164]

I think three key errors. In all likelihood, I suspect the dive officer, knowing he's getting heavy at depth but that this dive was supposed to be rather short term, opted not to keep the boat in a good trim. Pumping 10,000 or more pounds out as they dove, just to have to 'flood' the same amount back in when they returned to shallow depth, probably seemed like a waste of time. And of course the deeper they went, the harder it would have been to pump those thousands of pounds out to keep the boat trimmed.
The second was opting to put the reactor plant in the configuration they did. They (CO??) probably thought having the ability to answer all-ahead flank (with MCP's in fast) was more important than the reliability of having MCP's in slow and only able to able to go to a slightly slower speed (you could still go pretty good though, just not a flank bell). With slow speed MCP's, whatever was causing the frequency fluctuations, you could have completely lost SSTGs and reactor steam would still have been available.
Add to that the decision to keep those strainers in the HP air system. Although, I can sort of understand their thoughts on that. Normally not a lot of demand on the 3000 psi reducer. A lot of lower pressure air systems came from the 4500/ 700 psi reducer. So if the 4500/3000 reducer leaks by a bit from dirt, you get to hear the 3000 psi header relief valve go off and that's not pleasant.
Three seemingly minor and unrelated decisions had a major result.
(served on SSN-615 in the late 70's, a sub-safe Permit class boat, qualified as Electrical operator and Engineering Watch Supervisor, SS)

[@brucechamberlin9666]

I think “900 North … test depth”, was a message they were very near (50 feet), of their calculated collapse depth and the sender was saying good bye with useful information. The fact it survived to 2,400 feet is not surprising. I’m a mechanical engineer and if I say 1950 collapse depth, I probably figured about 2,400 feet in being very conservative in my design claims. That’s just the way we are, thank God. I agree with Rickover, there would be enough latent heat in the system to get to the surface in a SCRAM. Factor of
Safety an engineering fundamental. For example, the factor of safety (FOS) of an elevator is 40. Forty times stronger than it has to be. For a spacecraft it is 1.1 or it would never get off the ground.

[@rwilson1125]

If the boat was maintaining depth by stern and fair weather planes, because trim pump was inadequate to offload water, then loss of propulsion caused sinking. When main steam valves shut, wouldn’t reactor pressure relief valve pop and be on the sosus paper?

[@mikefochtman7164]

I served on USS Gato, a Permit class boat, in the 70's. No, the reactor scrams first, basically stops heating the steam generators. So shutting the steam stops AFTER that prevents the steam generators from cooling too much, but you don't get a pressure spike like you would on an oil-fired boiler.

[@PaulfromChicago]

Listening to all this, it seems like it's not a surprise that Thresher was lost, but rather that more nuclear subs weren't lost.
Nautilus was a greater revolution than Warrior. USN seems to have managed the revolution very well.

[@kellifaust5522]

You are correct about more nuclear submarines not being lost. In 1991, the USS Guardfish was almost lost during a training run. My brother was aboard when it occurred. I can't post a link here, but the LA Times had an article about the vessel's safety in May 1991.

[@parrot849]

Very interesting and informative video presentation. It’s a shame it took a law suit to shake loose detailed information on the accident. It seems the government classifies nearly everything that goes down on paper anymore regardless if it’s necessary or not. Things that could lead to agencies, departments, officials, etc. becoming “embarrassed” through acts of incompetence or other similar circumstances should by law be absolutely excluded from the classification system. Only true genuine information that if disclosed could harm our country should be classified.
Also, who was the unseen gentleman wired with a mic 🎤 or seated next to one constantly coughing, hacking and clearing his throat? Very distracting….

[@carl112466]

Everything is classified. I worked the P3 aircraft in the Navy if I told you what kind of toilet paper the P3 used in the head I be looking at 10 years in prison. 😅😅😅😅

[@brt-jn7kg]

I could understand classifying information of a national security level thing but lying to the families about what happened to their loved ones never ends well. The families deserved the unvarnished unambiguous truth

[@ponchoremerize5508]

The logs of the U.S.S Seawolf would show that there people alive a LEAST a day later!

[@DuffyF56]

USS Seawolf's so called evidence was examined by the Court of Inquiry and specifically addressed by them as a mistaken identification. There was a single implosion detected and at that point everyone aboard died.

[@bernieeod57]

Did 13 years in the sub force from 1977 to 1990 as an A Ganger. Served on 1 594, 3 688's, and the DSRV. Rampage said what I felt all along. We have no submarines left in the Navy! We have submersible nuclear plants. I have served under CO's who have blatantly stated that going to war was a violation of reactor safety regulations. "Creeping nukism" made it impossible to do one's job and every day was another opportunity to get busted for simply not crossing a T or dotting an I on a safety tag. On my final checkout interview, the XO and I served together on our first boat when he was an Ensign and I a Fireman. I told him "You were my Division Officer the day I earned these so therefore it is only fitting that you be the one who takes them back!" I ripped off my Dolphins and threw them on his desk. I ended up doing another 13 years in the Reserves as an EOD Diver. When the CO of my Reserve unit ordered me to wear the "Fish" I submitted a special request chit to have my SS designation removed

[@gailward3720]

Operator error with poor judgement. Pressure of factory guys there at the time also. They didn't realize how to operate at those depths, blind contractors and sailors. Submarine not engineered for those depths safely.

[@bernieeod57]

"Nuclear Engineer Officers have no interest in the front of the boat, no Knowledge of weapons!" VADM Ted Ramage Funny, on my final checkout interview with the XO after serving 13 years, my speech to the XO, whom I had served with on our first boat when he was an Ensign and I a Fireman "This is not the same sub force I was enticed to join by reading books on WW2 submarines, Nautilus 90 North, and Around the world Submerged. I was trained by that generation of Submariners and consider myself the last of that breed! The sword of democracy as we are referred to has become a ceremonial sword, where the blades chrome plating has become more important than the temper of the steel, the polish of that chrome has become more important than the sharpness of its edge, the styling of the blade has become more important than the balance, and one's skill in rendering a parade salute has become more important than one's skill in thrust, guard, or parry! You sir was my division Officer the day I earned these! Therefore! I feel it is only fitting that you take them back!" (Removed my Dolphins and placed them on his desk) "I am an ex Submariner"

[@ChS9712]

Horrific audio, completely unintelligible.

[@ktl4539]

Bad audio and talking too fast...