Was John Mccain responsible for the USS Forestal fire?

Answer 1

No. On July 29, 1967 a malfunction on a F-4 Phantom parked on the starboard side of the flight deck causing a Zuni rocket to accidentally fire. The missile flew across the deck into the belly fuel tank of McCain's parked A-4D Skyhawk.

Various internet hoaxes blame McCain for the fire but the facts prove otherwise.

Some of them are:

1. McCain "wet-started" his engine and caused the Zuni Rocket to "cook-off" on the F-4 behind him.

* McCain's Skyhawk was parked on the edge of the flight with the aft section pointed off the flight deck. It was impossible for the Phantom to be parked behind his Skyhawk as it would have to be hovering in mid-air. His Skyhawk was struck at roughly a 45 degree angle from the front. The missile traveled about half the length of the ship. 2. McCain panicked and dropped the bomb(s) on his plane.

* He would have had to arm the system first and then drop the bomb. The tapes of the fire show his Skyhawk on fire and the first explosion comes from a plane to right of of his Skyhawk. McCain was out of his Skyhawk and on the deck by that time.

3. McCain was transferred off the the Forrestal because he caused the fire.

* Since the Forrestal was heavily damaged it had to return to port for repairs. McCain was injured in the explosions. Most if not all pilots were transfered off the Forrestal because it was out of commission due to the disaster.