Accidental Firing of Gun Kills Sailor, Damages 6 Planes on Carrier Nimitz
WASHINGTON — A sailor was killed, another was seriously injured and six airplanes were damaged when a gun undergoing maintenance on the carrier Nimitz accidentally went off today, causing a fire on the flight deck, the Pentagon said.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. John Smith said the accident occurred this morning in the north Arabian Sea.
“The Nimitz was not conducting flight operations at the time of the incident,” Smith said. “The fire started at 2:48 a.m. and was brought under control at 3:10 a.m.
“The fire apparently started when a gun on an A-7E aircraft fired during routine maintenance, which resulted in a round of ammunition striking an A-6 aircraft and starting the fire,” he said. “A total of six aircraft were damaged.”
Smith said the injured man was being evacuated from the Nimitz and an investigation into the incident was under way.
The identities of the dead man and the injured man were being withheld pending notification of next of kin, Smith said.
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