Ace of Spades HQ

April 17, 2013

It's a Local News Story, I Know
— Dave in Texas

There are at least 100 casualties being reported. A fire at a fertilizer plant in West Texas (West is the name of a small town 20 miles north of Waco in central Texas) was being fought by fire teams when it exploded, razing homes within 4 blocks and overcoming the emergency triage location.

The fire was whipped by strong southerly winds we had today, 20 to 30mph gusts. Here's some video of the explosion (at the link).

There were emergency responders on the ground fighting this fire when that happened.

Listening to audio of the response, there may be more than 100 casualties, which Waco and communities south are working to take in.

It's bad. Also important to note, given the horror of this week, the explosion happened after the fire broke out, not the other way around.

UPDATE: All residents are being advised to evacuate. West's population is about 3,000

UPDATE2: They moved the triage center from the football stadium due to toxic fumes. Reports of 20 firefighters lost. State Troopers are loading injured people into their cars to take them to hospitals, there aren't enough ambulances.

UPDATE3: 200 injuries, 40 ~~fatalities~~ critically injured reported. (sorry, got that wrong)

video of the blast (very disturbing warning) from ace

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 07:21 PM | Comments (475)
Post contains 223 words, total size 2 kb.

1 That video is insane. Seeing reports of 5 dead on twitter.

Posted by: Doc at April 17, 2013 07:24 PM (oUDps)

2 lotta burn victims. pray hard, horde.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 07:24 PM (8lmkt)

3 The wind is pretty gusty.....son in law just got called in....he is a ff in Belton. Prayers for safety for all concerned.

Posted by: kawfytawk at April 17, 2013 07:25 PM (qdzWt)

4 May God help the people of Texas tonight.

Posted by: ChrisyBlinky,Sarcastic and Cynical Redneck Queen needs more proof at April 17, 2013 07:25 PM (baL2B)

5 That sucks. Audio is chilling.

Posted by: and irresolute at April 17, 2013 07:26 PM (DBH1h)

6 Scary, scary stuff. I stop in West every time I travel down to Austin. I am scheduled to head that way on Saturday, but I'm not sure whether I'll be able to make the trip now. The explosion was extremely close to the highway.

Posted by: mikethegrate at April 17, 2013 07:26 PM (FR+ef)

7 CAn't get the video to play, which may be just as well. Prayers.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 07:27 PM (/COnL)

8 Nitrates can be nasty stuff.

Posted by: The Political Hat at April 17, 2013 07:27 PM (Vk2pI)

9 I'm so sorry, I'm praying for them now, this is such a tragedy.

Posted by: Caustic at April 17, 2013 07:28 PM (/b8+5)

10 Prayers for everyone in the area and for everyone with family in the area. What a terrible week.

Posted by: ElKomandante at April 17, 2013 07:28 PM (Ew7nO)

11 Senior home has been affected as well

Posted by: kawfytawk at April 17, 2013 07:28 PM (qdzWt)

12 Waco massacre was 20 years ago this week. Related?

Posted by: BadSisterZoot at April 17, 2013 07:28 PM (VqPl2)

13 I've loaded out of that plant. Glad I'm retired.

Posted by: Joethefatman™ (@joethefatman1) at April 17, 2013 07:28 PM (MnSla)

14 12 Waco massacre was 20 years ago this week. Related?

Posted by: BadSisterZoot at April 17, 2013 11:28 PM (VqPl2)

Just may be a really, really bad week.

Dave in Texas, my prayers tonight for all. I live in hurricane alley. Cannot imagine evacuating 3000 so quickly, and at night.

Posted by: ChrisyBlinky,Sarcastic and Cynical Redneck Queen needs more proof at April 17, 2013 07:30 PM (baL2B)

15 Waco massacre was 20 years ago this week. Related?

Posted by: BadSisterZoot at April 17, 2013 11:28 PM (VqPl2)

It's a fuckin' fertilizer plant. If you will excuse the expression, shit happens. They're looking at incoming thunderstorms and wind and temps dropping and, just pray.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 07:30 PM (8lmkt)

16 As I mentioned in the previous thread, I grew up near chemical plants and refineries. This includes a fertilizer facility no more than 2 miles from my home. All of these places plan for emergencies but hope something never happens. In this case the worst happened.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 07:30 PM (kRPdA)

God help those poor firefighters.

That was an insane explosion.

Posted by: garrett at April 17, 2013 07:31 PM (ZSJun)

18 There is a live stream up on FoxNews. View is from a chopper.

Posted by: and irresolute at April 17, 2013 07:31 PM (DBH1h)

19 Jesus Christ, I just got the video to play.

That's absolutely horrifying. Nothing could survive that.

Goddammit. This is awful.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 07:31 PM (/COnL)

20 Waco massacre was 20 years ago this week. Related? Posted by: BadSisterZoot at April 17, 2013 11:28 PM (VqPl2) First reports is that there was a fire at the plant that had re-ignited, at which point some water got into the nitrates. I'm not a chemist, but I think that causes a pretty volatile reaction.

Posted by: mikethegrate at April 17, 2013 07:32 PM (FR+ef)

21 At least Rick Perry is Governor if that is any consolation. They don't have the nitwits that Katrina had.

Posted by: Cheri at April 17, 2013 07:32 PM (EAgmr)

22 Damn, can this week end soon please. Prayer list is getting awfully full, hopefully The Big Guy is hearing some.

Posted by: RWC at April 17, 2013 07:32 PM (Wl/Ht)

23 An ammonium nitrate fertilizer plant? This near to the OKC bombing anniversary? I'm having a hard time suspending suspicion here.

Posted by: Brother Cavil, elsewhere at April 17, 2013 07:32 PM (m9V0o)

24 I can't get over how pants-shittingly sudden and terrifying and IMMENSE that explosion was.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 07:33 PM (/COnL)

25 God help those poor firefighters. That was an insane explosion. Posted by: garrett at April 17, 2013 11:31 PM (ZSJun) Waco news station is reporting 5 firefighters and 1 cop dead in the explosion.

Posted by: mikethegrate at April 17, 2013 07:33 PM (FR+ef)

26 Too much cross-stomping going on tonight.

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 07:33 PM (+iA5G)

27 Waco massacre was 20 years ago this week. Related? Posted by: BadSisterZoot at April 17, 2013 11:28 PM (VqPl2) Chemical plants and refineries have restricted access. From pictures I saw the mention in the previous thread of a tank car derailment gone very wrong may be the case.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 07:33 PM (kRPdA)

28 Waco news station is reporting 5 firefighters and 1 cop dead in the explosion.

Posted by: mikethegrate at April 17, 2013 11:33 PM (FR+ef)

Good God, no!

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 07:33 PM (8lmkt)

29 http://tinyurl.com/d26uowr Link to live feed of My fox Dallas

Posted by: Snarky the Bear at April 17, 2013 07:33 PM (/b8+5)

30 Yea, the firemen took it on the chin. Prayers

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 07:34 PM (/gHaE)

31 From the stream, looking toward a football field, there is more than one field, they are congregating at the field farthest from what appears to be a house fire, there appears to be 100+ emergency vehicles.

Posted by: and irresolute at April 17, 2013 07:35 PM (DBH1h)

32 What the hell is wrong with mid-April?!

Posted by: BSR at April 17, 2013 07:36 PM (H0Rot)

33 EMS says 60 to 70 dead.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 07:36 PM (cipri)

34 From the previous thd - 60/70 dead.

(O)(O)

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 07:36 PM (/gHaE)

35 >>>Waco news station is reporting 5 firefighters and 1 cop dead in the explosion.

No way that number remains that low, for the firefighters at least. I'll be doing jumping-jacks of joy if I'm wrong, however.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 07:36 PM (/COnL)

36 All that is horrific is local

Posted by: Tip O'Neill at April 17, 2013 07:36 PM (I88Jc)

37 Sorry, they are at a baseball field complex, tired old eyes, sorry.

Posted by: and irresolute at April 17, 2013 07:36 PM (DBH1h)

38 I heard a report 20 firemen are gone.

Posted by: Sarahw at April 17, 2013 07:37 PM (LYwCh)

39 33 EMS says 60 to 70 dead.
Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 11:36 PM
===========

If there were FD personnel at the scene, that is believable.

Posted by: Mike Hammer at April 17, 2013 07:37 PM (aDwsi)

40 http://tinyurl.com/d4dofnj

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 07:37 PM (cipri)

41 Seeing twitter reports citing KWTX and an EMS director saying 60-70 dead

Posted by: Doc at April 17, 2013 07:37 PM (oUDps)

42 Yeah, holy fucking shit on that video. I'm assuming the guy filming it survived? I hope. Prayers for everyone there

Posted by: mugiwara at April 17, 2013 07:37 PM (hpYnL)

43 They're reporting 60-70 dead and hundreds injured. For a town the size of West (3000ish), that would be the equivalent of 200,000 dead in NYC.

Posted by: mikethegrate at April 17, 2013 07:37 PM (FR+ef)

44 >>>EMS says 60 to 70 dead.

Christ. Let's hope that doesn't rise with the burn victims.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 07:37 PM (/COnL)

45 Seeing reports of 5 dead on twitter. *** It's gotta be a hell of a lot more than that if there wee firefighters on the scene.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 07:37 PM (piMMO)

46
Oh man, that explosion was absolutely huge, praying for all involved especially the firefighters.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 07:38 PM (mKNJE)

47 Sarahw - I heard a woman on the live feed say that 20 FF dead. I was praying that I heard wrong.

Posted by: Cheri at April 17, 2013 07:38 PM (EAgmr)

48 Oh my god. This is heartbreaking again. Please let those early reports of so many deaths be wrong. Please.

Posted by: freemo at April 17, 2013 07:38 PM (JxTFn)

49 Yeah, holy fucking shit on that video. I'm assuming the guy filming it survived? I hope. Prayers for everyone there *** The distance it covered in a fraction of a second is amazing. It appeared that something was hurled at the person shooting the video.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 07:39 PM (piMMO)

50 I heard a report 20 firemen are gone.

fuck

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 07:40 PM (8lmkt)

51 Man Alex Jones is gonna have a field day with this..

Posted by: BSR at April 17, 2013 07:40 PM (H0Rot)

52 Maybe someone more familiar with these plants or this sort of world (there seem to be a few in this thread) can explain to me...what the fuck is a plant like this doing near a residential zone? I read somewhere that there were houses as close as a couple of blocks away.

I mean, Texas isn't exactly known for being cramped, right? Why isn't a plant like this located way out in the middle of nowhere as opposed to near the town itself, for safety reason?

This isn't sarcastic -- some folks here may have good explanations.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 07:40 PM (/COnL)

53 The distance it covered in a fraction of a second is amazing. It appeared that something was hurled at the person shooting the video.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 11:39 PM (piMMO)

--Probably just the shockwave.

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 07:40 PM (+iA5G)

54 Well. Boston just got knocked off the news cycle. I'm not liking the rate of escalation of explosions this week. Cruelest month, indeed.

Posted by: Brother Cavil, elsewhere at April 17, 2013 07:40 PM (m9V0o)

55 Gives me the creeps to see that many responders all bunched together in one place like that, in the damn dark. Time to be paranoid.

Posted by: and irresolute at April 17, 2013 07:40 PM (DBH1h)

56
What is it with the 2nd and 3rd week in April?

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 07:40 PM (mKNJE)

57 @KHOU: 70 people confirmed dead, including 5 firefighters & 1 police officer. Hundreds of others injured in explosion

Posted by: Doc at April 17, 2013 07:41 PM (oUDps)

Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.

My home town has about 5,000 people. The surrounding community has about 30,000. Loosing 60-70 will be absolutely devastating.

Posted by: Colorado Alex at April 17, 2013 07:41 PM (lr3d7)

59 OMG.

Posted by: ace at April 17, 2013 07:42 PM (LCRYB)

60 56
What is it with the 2nd and 3rd week in April?

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 11:40 PM (mKNJE)

--What is it with the 2nd and 3rd week of September, for that matter?

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 07:42 PM (+iA5G)

61 Horrible. What a nightmare. Praying.

Posted by: Quint&Jessel, Sea of Azof, Bly, UK at April 17, 2013 07:42 PM (7v5Ct)

62 what the fuck is a plant like this doing near a residential zone? I read somewhere that there were houses as close as a couple of blocks away.

They were happy to have the work. Simple as that. It's the heartland, lotta that going on.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 07:42 PM (8lmkt)

63 God bless West, Texas tonight. Massive hurt down there.

Posted by: Boston at April 17, 2013 07:42 PM (bDUMn)

64 Goodness. Prayers for everyone there.

Posted by: Y-not at April 17, 2013 07:42 PM (5H6zj)

65 Anhydrous ammonia is very very nasty. It is highly pyrophoric and reactive: 2 NH3 + 3 O2 --> N2 + 3 H2O When people usually think "ammonia" they are thinking of an aqueous solution. The anhydrous stuff is only liquid as very low temperatures or under pressure. It reacts according to the reaction above in a very nasty way. Too much of a whiff of it and you can go blind or even stop breathing. I've used the stuff... it is very, very nasty. But the explosive part of it is the truly nasty stuff...

Posted by: The Chemical Hat at April 17, 2013 07:42 PM (Vk2pI)

I mean, Texas isn't exactly known for being cramped, right? Why isn't a plant like this located way out in the middle of nowhere as opposed to near the town itself, for safety reason?

Depending on how long the plant has been there, it could very well have been out in the country ten or fifteen years ago and development just kept encroaching.

Posted by: Colorado Alex at April 17, 2013 07:43 PM (lr3d7)

67 Oh pray Hard Horde !!!!!! So many good folks in West and Waco !!!!! Oh horrible week !!!!!

Posted by: Extremely grumpy momma bear at April 17, 2013 07:44 PM (mRuxb)

68 Scanner feed for McLennan County, TX http://tinyurl.com/cp3495l

Posted by: Country Singer at April 17, 2013 07:45 PM (0eRkg)

Dave,

I hope you mean 100 injuries, not 100 deaths. Best of luck for those affected down in TX.

Night morans. Tomorrow is another day...

Posted by: Prescient11 at April 17, 2013 07:45 PM (e9UmP)

70 FNC speaking with a hospital that has taken in 66 patients of which 33 are serious

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 07:45 PM (piMMO)

71 Praying hard. G-d, it hurts to be so far from home with all that's happening. I just wanna see my kids and hug them tight.

Posted by: Mrs Mittens, Elder Geezer at April 17, 2013 07:45 PM (aDbwM)

72 Maybe someone more familiar with these plants or this sort of world (there seem to be a few in this thread) can explain to me...what the fuck is a plant like this doing near a residential zone? I read somewhere that there were houses as close as a couple of blocks away. I mean, Texas isn't exactly known for being cramped, right? Why isn't a plant like this located way out in the middle of nowhere as opposed to near the town itself, for safety reason? This isn't sarcastic -- some folks here may have good explanations. Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 11:40 PM (/COnL) I'm not from Texas but my hometown has a bunch of chemical plants and refineries in a 2-15 mile range. The closest plants to the house I grew up in are no more than 2 miles away, and one of them is a fertilizer plant. In the case of my hometown, the oldest residential areas were there way before the first plants showed up. Everyone in the town is supposed to have an evacuation plan and shelter-in-place plan in case something goes wrong.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 07:45 PM (kRPdA)

73 200 injured, 40 in critical, 175 homes or businesses destroyed, in a very small community.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 07:45 PM (8lmkt)

74 Next week, all 5 living presidents (including BO & MO) are coming to Dallas for the dedication of GWB's library at SMU. The Dallas Morning News website says police are urging everyone if you "see something, say something." Obviously concerned about security after Boston, and this was up before the West explosion. Ominous times.

Posted by: Mayday at April 17, 2013 07:45 PM (F3s39)

75 I pray the death toll doesn't rise. I also pray we get a really good answer on what went wrong and fast, this has the potential to be the conspiracy theory of the decade. :-(

Posted by: BSR at April 17, 2013 07:45 PM (H0Rot)

76 OMG. *** You said it! Just awful.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 07:46 PM (piMMO)

77 Highway in and out of West is 2 lanes, no shoulder for at least a few miles.

Posted by: Lauren at April 17, 2013 07:46 PM (wsGWu)

78 >>>They were happy to have the work. Simple as that. It's the heartland, lotta that going on.

Well sure, I get that...but why wouldn't the plant be located, like, five or ten miles outside of town? This is West Texas, after all: everybody's got cars, it's not like living in NY or DC where people often don't even bother to get driver's licenses.

I dunno, I don't want to sound like I'm being rude or anything, because I'm not intending that in the slightest...I just wonder why a factory with this obvious sort of "catastrophic BOOM" potential wouldn't be put in a place that, while not too far out of the way for the townsfolk to commute to, isn't right friggin' next to residential area. I mean, wouldn't the zoning commission think about stuff like this?

I guess I just can't get over how devastating that blast looked. That looked like the true wrath of hell right there. What could live through that?

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 07:46 PM (/COnL)

79 Prayers. Is this explosive ammonium nitrate also found in the fertilizer you buy at the hardware store? That's not a pleasant thought.

Posted by: MikeW at April 17, 2013 07:46 PM (Rk8LS)

80 70 people confirmed dead??? Jesus. Prayers to those families. Unbelievable.

Posted by: Prescient11 at April 17, 2013 07:47 PM (e9UmP)

81 So very thankful my son at Baylor is safe but praying very hard for all in West and for all our emergency personnel !!!!!!! Lord have Mercy !!!!!!!

Posted by: Extremely grumpy momma bear at April 17, 2013 07:47 PM (mRuxb)

82 Modern life demands a price that can be very steep at times. We don't like to think about it. And we tend to try to 'mitigate it' when the piper comes to be paid. But these people have just paid the price.

Posted by: AZ Hi Desert (All my Hate cannot be found) at April 17, 2013 07:48 PM (UBfJZ)

83 Any one has the Google link to know how close this was to the town. From the size of West Texas it could have leveled a fair chuck the town.

Posted by: Trevor (@tjexcite) at April 17, 2013 07:48 PM (CdeLs)

84 Is this explosive ammonium nitrate also found in the fertilizer you buy at the hardware store? That's not a pleasant thought. Remember I mentioned the OKC bombing? That was this stuff, plus diesel fuel added. Just a truckload did that. This...was a shitton more than a truckload.

Posted by: Brother Cavil, elsewhere at April 17, 2013 07:48 PM (m9V0o)

85 DiT, this is hard to watch, but you might want to add it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ROrpKx3aIjA

Posted by: ace at April 17, 2013 07:48 PM (LCRYB)

86
CNN covering it, fox in re-run mode.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 07:48 PM (mKNJE)

87 This isn't sarcastic -- some folks here may have good explanations.

Zoning.

Posted by: Obamao at April 17, 2013 07:49 PM (JtyGg)

88 Prayers....

Posted by: Jinx the Cat at April 17, 2013 07:49 PM (l3vZN)

89 Any one has the Google link to know how close this was to the town. From the size of West Texas it could have leveled a fair chuck the town. *** the view from the live cam showed the plant on fire as well as everything near it, and spreading.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 07:49 PM (piMMO)

90 .but why wouldn't the plant be located, like, five or ten miles outside of town?

because, in a place like that, they don't think that way, they just don't. fact of life.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 07:49 PM (8lmkt)

91 Likely all volunteer FD--I live in a small town and cannot imagine the loss. Our plant employed a volunteer firefighter a few years ago who suffered brain damage while putting out a tank fire at a farm...insufficient PPE.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at April 17, 2013 07:49 PM (8E3pj)

Anhydrous ammonia is very very nasty. It is highly pyrophoric and reactive:

Most people have trouble keeping their eyes open at @ 50 ppm; much over that and you start to panic- 500 ppm pretty well puts you down for the count.

Extra prayers for all involved.

Posted by: HvyMtlHntr at April 17, 2013 07:50 PM (HqLmn)

93 This is almost the mother of all AMFO bombs. Without the diesel.

Pray for everyone.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 07:50 PM (OCvUs)

94 Looks like fewer fatalities than earlier reported.

Posted by: Mike Hammer at April 17, 2013 07:50 PM (aDwsi)

95 Well sure, I get that...but why wouldn't the plant be located, like, five or ten miles outside of town? This is West Texas, after all: everybody's got cars, it's not like living in NY or DC where people often don't even bother to get driver's licenses. Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 11:46 PM (/COnL) I don't know if it's the case here in terms of who was first (town or plant), but it's not uncommon to have chemical plants and refineries near residential neighborhoods.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 07:50 PM (kRPdA)

Posted by: ace at April 17, 2013 11:48 PM (LCRYB)

Wow, well at least they survived. Fuck.

Posted by: mugiwara at April 17, 2013 07:51 PM (hpYnL)

97 Who the heck would film something like that with their little girl in the vehicle?

Posted by: Baldy at April 17, 2013 07:51 PM (opS9C)

98 Until 9-11, the deadliest US manmade disaster for firefighters was the ammonium nitrate explosion of two ships in the port of Texas City in the late 40's. A fire started, the firemen were fighting it, and the the ships blew up. I hope this one isn't nearly as bad. Good Lord.

Posted by: stace at April 17, 2013 07:51 PM (DX63t)

99 at least they had one helluva emergency response, actually pretty astonishing. Texas, yeah!

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 07:51 PM (8lmkt)

100 Chemical plants and refineries can also have in-house firefighting teams.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 07:51 PM (kRPdA)

101 >>>this is hard to watch, but you might want to add it.

Good god, the poor kid crying "dad, I can't hear, I can't hear anything, please get out of here, please get out of here...."

I'm a little p.o.'ed at the father, btw. Isn't he sitting there just before it explodes saying something like "well, it should blow up soon"? Um...if you knew that was a possibility, maybe you coulda moved a little farther away.

Guess I'm angry because of the poor kid. Breaks my heart.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 07:52 PM (/COnL)

102 This is really sad. Prayers for West, Texas. THIS is a tragedy.

Posted by: Yip at April 17, 2013 07:52 PM (/jHWN)

103 Very sad couple of days. Was starting to feel better before this Waco crap.

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at April 17, 2013 07:52 PM (ZPrif)

104 Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 11:46 PM (/COnL)

The plant was there and the town grew towards it.

Posted by: Joethefatman™ (@joethefatman1) at April 17, 2013 07:52 PM (MnSla)

105 Waco and Hillsboro are both fairly large and have good sized fire dpts. West is about halfway in between those cities, 15 miles either way.

Posted by: Lauren at April 17, 2013 07:52 PM (wsGWu)

106 Awful. Prayers are ascending for everyone in the area. May God bless and protect them all.

Posted by: Horrified Observer at April 17, 2013 07:52 PM (/sohm)

107 this is hard to watch, but you might want to add it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ROrpKx3aIjA *** that baby broke my heart.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 07:53 PM (piMMO)

108 Here in rural KS, I work in a major manufacturing plant that encompasses the northern border of town. A plant explosion of that magnitude would flatten our town. We'd burn pretty hot (God forbid) but wouldn't explode.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at April 17, 2013 07:53 PM (8E3pj)

109 Media being directed to the "West Auction Barn", so more info should be forthcoming.

Posted by: Country Singer at April 17, 2013 07:53 PM (0eRkg)

110 I think I found it. West Texas Fertilize. It is on the edge of town. To the east is field, School to the south and west but residential is right across track field.

Posted by: Trevor (@tjexcite) at April 17, 2013 07:53 PM (CdeLs)

111 Depending on your jurisdiction, zoning will usually let residential in any other zone... libertarian bent being why can't you live on your land?

Cheap land right next to a chemical plant... cheap land right outside the levees of NOLA...

Posted by: Obamao at April 17, 2013 07:53 PM (JtyGg)

112 Remember folks, coincidences *do* happen in a modern society. Also, cells have long been known to be laying in wait, for things to happen. Could be a *thing*, but could be nothing other than odds waiting to happen. Lots of things happening in close time frames, worrying. Don't blow things up into something that isn't, but be aware that it could be. Be awake, folks.

Posted by: bikermailman at April 17, 2013 07:53 PM (JdYGq)

113 >>>because, in a place like that, they don't think that way, they just don't. fact of life.

Well I hope that changes. I understand that you can't just up and move people who live near these places at this point...but good God. Good fucking God.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 07:53 PM (/COnL)

114 That 'dad' needs a horse whipping for risking his child like that.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 07:54 PM (OCvUs)

115 Oh my God, that video. That little boy. Stop the world and let me off.

Posted by: Lauren at April 17, 2013 07:54 PM (wsGWu)

116 Sounds like the girl was deafened.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 07:55 PM (cipri)

117 jesus

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at April 17, 2013 07:56 PM (ZPrif)

118 The live cam showed silos and other very heavy debris more than a mile from the explosion

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 07:56 PM (piMMO)

119 Um...if you knew that was a possibility, maybe you coulda moved a little farther away. Uh, you were surprised at the speed and expanse of the explosion yourself, weren't you, you smarmy little genius of a hindsight asshole?

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 17, 2013 07:56 PM (lFk6F)

120 I mean, wouldn't the zoning commission think about stuff like this?

Town I grew up in didn't have no zoning until about 25 years ago.

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 07:56 PM (/gHaE)

121 I don't know if it's the case here in terms of who was first (town or plant), but it's not uncommon to have chemical plants and refineries near residential neighborhoods.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 11:50 PM (kRPdA)

True, but we have to be aware of things happening all at once. Keep an eye open to your events, people.

Posted by: bikermailman at April 17, 2013 07:56 PM (JdYGq)

122 Poor kid. :-(

Posted by: Ernie McCracken at April 17, 2013 07:56 PM (ZETiK)

123 Oh fuck. FNC not covering and now CNN is going to live coverage with Piers Morgan.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 07:57 PM (piMMO)

124
my guess is the girl is ok now, since the father posted the video.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 07:57 PM (mKNJE)

125 Uh, you were surprised at the speed and expanse of the explosion yourself, weren't you, you smarmy little genius of a hindsight asshole?

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 17, 2013 11:56 PM (lFk6F)

hey, not everybody gets it, but you don't have to do the whole namecalling shit . . . or do you? really?

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 07:57 PM (8lmkt)

126 Based on JeffB and NDH's comments, I'll skip the second video. what a horrific week and we still have 2 days left.

Posted by: L, elle at April 17, 2013 07:57 PM (0PiQ4)

127 Kids' ears are a lot more sensitive to loud noises...but they do recover. Dad's got some explaining to do.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at April 17, 2013 07:58 PM (8E3pj)

128 I was under the impression that 24 hour news meant day and night.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 07:58 PM (cipri)

129 123....saw that...had O'reilly yammering on about himself... no doubt. Putz

Posted by: kawfytawk at April 17, 2013 07:59 PM (qdzWt)

130

Absolutely. Prayers for the family in that car. Wow, that came out of nowhere apparently. Powerful enough to turn over a vehicle. That's tough to deal with.

Best.

Posted by: Prescient11 at April 17, 2013 07:59 PM (e9UmP)

131 I was under the impression that 24 hour news meant day and night. *** Oh hell no! Not when BOR has ratings to maintain.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 07:59 PM (piMMO)

132 Terrible terrible terrible week terrible terrible terrible day ...... Praying Praying Praying

Posted by: Extremely grumpy momma bear at April 17, 2013 07:59 PM (mRuxb)

133 Terrifying second clip. So powerful was the blast the rushing air sounds like 'screaming' wind.

Posted by: Serious Cat at April 17, 2013 08:00 PM (UOjzE)

134 True, but we have to be aware of things happening all at once. Keep an eye open to your events, people. Posted by: bikermailman at April 17, 2013 11:56 PM (JdYGq) Honey, I can tell you that plants take security precautions. At this point I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 08:00 PM (kRPdA)

135 relink t the live cam http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Explosion-Rocks-Fertilizer-Plant-During-Fire-203508011.html

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:00 PM (piMMO)

136 Cover your ears.

Posted by: garrett at April 17, 2013 08:00 PM (On25/)

137 O'Reilly's got the Folks to look after. The Folks!!!

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at April 17, 2013 08:01 PM (8E3pj)

138 Someone finally woke up FNC

Posted by: Doc at April 17, 2013 08:01 PM (oUDps)

139 What makes ammonium nitrate so useful? Does its value outweigh the risk?

Posted by: MikeW at April 17, 2013 08:01 PM (Rk8LS)

140 Waterhouse, not in this thread.

And a lot of other people seem to agree with me -- that if you have a young child in your car with you, maybe rubbernecking with your windows open in range of a massive fire at a fertilizer plant that by your own admission you KNOW is going to explode, is...questionable judgment. I mean, if it was just him? Fine. But he's got his child with him.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:01 PM (/COnL)

141 I was under the impression that 24 hour news meant day and night.
--

Red state, blue state, urban, rural. The MSM treats it all the same...

Posted by: Mayday at April 17, 2013 08:01 PM (F3s39)

142 That fire in the video didn't look containable.

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 08:02 PM (/gHaE)

143 I mean, wouldn't the zoning commission think about stuff like this? My hometown is growing, but on the opposite side of the plants because they can't go any closer to them.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 08:02 PM (kRPdA)

144 Since the ONT is apparently dead and we are past comment #100.
A re-post.

Okay Morons, some advice. I finally decided to tackle a slide show for Boston. Here it is. Should I let it stay up? Change it? Or delete it?

http://annapuna.blogspot.com/2013/04/boston-marathon.html

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:02 PM (OCvUs)

145 What makes ammonium nitrate so useful? Does its value outweigh the risk?

Plants love it. If you want to continue eating, the answer is yes,

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 08:03 PM (/gHaE)

146 Also, I think Guy Mohawk's #124 is almost certainly correct (I hope, at least): that this video wouldn't have been posted on YouTube unless everything were okay with the man and his kid. Gives me some solace, at least.

Still, too risky.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:03 PM (/COnL)

147
@135 wow crazy 1st hand video

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 08:03 PM (mKNJE)

148 Hillcrest hospital confirming 66 patients there with more inbound. Most of the injuries not critical. Approx 12 are critical. Burn patients, however, are being directed to another hospital. 9 so far.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:04 PM (piMMO)

149 Drudge is sure asleep at the wheel tonight.

Posted by: Mayday at April 17, 2013 08:04 PM (F3s39)

150 Sounds like they got the nursing home folks out, in pickups and cars. Thank God!

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 08:04 PM (8lmkt)

151 That fire in the video didn't look containable. *** No it did not.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:04 PM (piMMO)

152 I have relatives outside of Aquila, Tx - next county over, they heard it. It's gotta be 20 mi away.

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:05 PM (gKGI0)

153 Local news is talking about the ammonia cloud ....anyone know how long it takes to dissipate something like that? We are fairly close....local news isn't helpful in that respect

Posted by: kawfytawk at April 17, 2013 08:05 PM (qdzWt)

154 114 That 'dad' needs a horse whipping for risking his child like that. Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 11:54 PM (OCvUs) I need to rethink 'distance from X.'. I thought he had room to spare, obviously not.

Posted by: RWC at April 17, 2013 08:05 PM (Wl/Ht)

155 A big thanks to the Moron News Aggregator. Holy shit, what a week.

Posted by: Piercello at April 17, 2013 08:05 PM (E/6f0)

156 Oh fuck. FNC not covering and now CNN is going to live coverage with Piers Morgan. Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse

I noticed that these local news people are far more professional and are not speculating or acting like "experts".

The West Mayor has more composure and professionalism than most of our Federal Fucked up elected fools.

You have our prayers Mayor.

Posted by: Cheri at April 17, 2013 08:05 PM (EAgmr)

157 Well, shit, this link just came across my twitter feed: http://tinyurl.com/cegq5dp

Posted by: Country Singer at April 17, 2013 08:05 PM (0eRkg)

158 Why get mad at the girls father? He probably thought he was far enough away from the FIRE to be relatively safe. And for a FIRE he was. The explosion wasn't expected by him or anyone. I imagine that he's more concerned about what nearly happened to him and his kid than any of us.

Posted by: Joethefatman™ (@joethefatman1) at April 17, 2013 08:06 PM (MnSla)

159 >>>What makes ammonium nitrate so useful? Does its value outweigh the risk? i can't speak to your exact question but nitrogen is a crucial part of plant growth -- just as crucial as C02. Plants suck all the nitrogen out of the soil. It would not naturally replenish without a die-off of plants (rot becoming free nitrogen). So there's really no other way to farm than to add nitrogen back in. I do not know if it *has* to be ammonium nitrate or if there's some safer form of it and how expensive these other forms would be.

Posted by: ace at April 17, 2013 08:06 PM (LCRYB)

160 O'Reilly's got the Folks to look after. The Folks!!! *** You know it!

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:06 PM (piMMO)

161 NDH, not in that wind

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:06 PM (gKGI0)

162 Drudge is sure asleep at the wheel tonight. Posted by: Mayday at April 18, 2013 12:04 AM (F3s39) Drudge always slows down once the work day is over.

Posted by: Serious Cat at April 17, 2013 08:06 PM (UOjzE)

163 The burn patients are being sent here. The worst ones down to San Antonio (Brooks). Jeff B., what others are saying is true, the little town grew up around that plant. Smart? No. A fire grew out of control in our crazy spring winds today, 30mph gusts from the south. I doubt the dad had any idea that blast was coming. But I agree, tough to hear the child's fear.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at April 17, 2013 08:06 PM (pUqSw)

164 The explosion wasn't expected by him or anyone. I imagine that he's more concerned about what nearly happened to him and his kid than any of us. *** He said in the video that it should explode. Still, thank God they are alive.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:07 PM (piMMO)

165 The West Mayor has more composure and professionalism than most of our Federal Fucked up elected fools.

You have our prayers Mayor.

Seems like a good ol' boy and he did ask for prayers. We can do that . . . and we will.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 08:07 PM (8lmkt)

166 157...the comments are horrid

Posted by: kawfytawk at April 17, 2013 08:07 PM (qdzWt)

167 That fire in the video didn't look containable. *** No it did not. Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 18, 2013 12:04 AM (piMMO) No, it's not. This is one of those situations where you just run.

Posted by: The Political Hat at April 17, 2013 08:07 PM (Vk2pI)

168 I think people's idea of "blast radius" is determined by the only place they've ever seen a blast -- movies. I think that guy was thinking 100 yards was the danger zone. I sure the hell didn't expect that sort of power from the blast. It shocked me. I thought it was going to be a "boom" in the distance.

Posted by: ace at April 17, 2013 08:08 PM (LCRYB)

169 >>>I need to rethink 'distance from X.'. I thought he had room to spare, obviously not.

The other real mistake was having his windows down while filming -- nothing to protect against the sound. They almost certainly would've been shattered had they been up, but it's safety glass so it isn't going to turn into deadly shards of glass or anything.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:08 PM (/COnL)

170 Drudge always slows down once the work day is over.

Posted by: Serious Cat at April 18, 2013 12:06 AM (UOjzE)'

last time Drudge had a decent night shift, it was Breitbart. ain't no point in bitchin' about it, it is what it is.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 08:08 PM (8lmkt)

171 Country Singer, the those trolls need a beating

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:09 PM (gKGI0)

172 Thanks for the answers.

Posted by: MikeW at April 17, 2013 08:09 PM (Rk8LS)

173 Look at these libtard trash comments:

http://bit.ly/11jePww

WTF is wrong with people

Posted by: ElKomandante at April 17, 2013 08:09 PM (Ew7nO)

174 I agree that the mayor sounds very composed and that the local news reporters are mostly very respectful. and I think I might have just told the CNN guy "no" when he asked him for a live phone interview.

Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at April 17, 2013 08:09 PM (RZ8pf)

175 149 Drudge is sure asleep at the wheel tonight. Posted by: Mayday at April 18, 2013 12:04 AM (F3s39) Drudge is still banking on the blue dress. All it is is a news aggregator site now. And with his posting of Alex Jones 'news' he is becoming a joke.

Posted by: RWC at April 17, 2013 08:09 PM (Wl/Ht)

176 Local news is talking about the ammonia cloud ....anyone know how long it takes to dissipate something like that? We are fairly close....local news isn't helpful in that respect Posted by: kawfytawk at April 18, 2013 12:05 AM (qdzWt) There is a leak of ammonia gas to the point that it is a cloud? That is bad. That is VERY bad. Get out of there NOW. Just go.

Posted by: The Political Hat at April 17, 2013 08:09 PM (Vk2pI)

177 Honey, I can tell you that plants take security precautions. At this point I'm not a conspiracy theorist. Bugger that. This week is seriously starting to damage my calm.

Posted by: Brother Cavil, elsewhere at April 17, 2013 08:10 PM (m9V0o)

178 i would have taken that video too. I would never have thought I was actually in some kind of danger at that distance. it's like a mile away.

Posted by: ace at April 17, 2013 08:10 PM (LCRYB)

179 Yeah, give the Dad a break... he was over a mile away I'd guess... and for someone to foresee that violent of an explosion as a possibility stretches 20/20 too far. That was very violent and massive.

Thanks that Fox is on this now.. the local stations (DFW) of course are providing really good coverage. Channel 11 in Dallas just had a Doctor on that was in the damaged senior home and he was talking about the folks he knows... EMS, Fire, etc that were killed. It's very, very sad. I've driven past West many, many times on trips south, but never stopped. Prayers indeed with a heavy heart tonight..

Posted by: Yip at April 17, 2013 08:10 PM (/jHWN)

180 98 Until 9-11, the deadliest US manmade disaster for firefighters was the ammonium nitrate explosion of two ships in the port of Texas City in the late 40's.

A fire started, the firemen were fighting it, and the the ships blew up.

I hope this one isn't nearly as bad. Good Lord.

Posted by: stace at April 17, 2013 11:51 PM (DX63t)

--Then there's the Halifax explosion (which strengthened Haligonians' ties with Boston) of 1917:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_explosion

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 08:10 PM (+iA5G)

181 The area is expecting thunderstorms late tonight. On the one hand, lighting and continuing wind. On the other hand, hopefully the rain can help put out fires.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 08:10 PM (kRPdA)

182 I heard him said "it should collapse". Didn't hear him say anything about "explode".

Posted by: Joethefatman™ (@joethefatman1) at April 17, 2013 08:10 PM (MnSla)

183 @jeff b.....I think the guy said "it should collapse soon" not "it should explode soon"...I don't think that he knew it was going to blow up

Posted by: willard gibbs at April 17, 2013 08:11 PM (xTNmw)

184 NDH, not in that wind *** The wind. The size. God Bless the fireman who were giving it their all.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:11 PM (piMMO)

185
I have to agree. I saw the video and still can't believe how massive that was.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 08:12 PM (mKNJE)

186 Tell me that's a hoax somehow, country singer. Screen shot it just in case.

Posted by: Lauren at April 17, 2013 08:13 PM (wsGWu)

187 I am sorry but that 'dad' is getting no slack from me. He put filming a fertilizer plant on fire ahead of getting out of there so his child would be out of all danger.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:13 PM (OCvUs)

188 98 Until 9-11, the deadliest US manmade disaster for firefighters was the ammonium nitrate explosion of two ships in the port of Texas City in the late 40's.

A fire started, the firemen were fighting it, and the the ships blew up.

I hope this one isn't nearly as bad. Good Lord.
Posted by: stace at April 17, 2013 11:51 PM

When the SS Fort Stikine blew up in Mumbai India in 1944, they found large sections of the ship a half mile inland

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 08:13 PM (mCvL4)

189 I stand corrected. I thought he said something about "flash" but he did say "collapse".

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:13 PM (piMMO)

190 FNC covering now

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:13 PM (piMMO)

191 Just heard on scanner feed: 200,000lbs Anhydrous stored in the plant this morning in rail cars.

Posted by: Country Singer at April 17, 2013 08:14 PM (0eRkg)

192
And a lot of other people seem to agree with me -- that if you have a young child in your car with you, maybe rubbernecking with your windows open in range of a massive fire at a fertilizer plant that by your own admission you KNOW is going to explode, is...questionable judgment. I mean, if it was just him? Fine. But he's got his child with him.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 18, 2013 12:01 AM (/COnL)

Whatever

Posted by: Britney Spears at April 17, 2013 08:14 PM (+iA5G)

193 Look at these libtard trash comments:

{link remove}

WTF is wrong with people

Why would you want to spend even a minute of your time on that? Because you could spend your time praying for the good people of West, Texas. I never had a scab I didn't pick, I'm just that kind of a girl, but I never got why any member of the horde would bother to look at someone else's mental diarrhea.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 08:15 PM (8lmkt)

194 Just cause he was filming doesn't mean he knew what was on fire or what could happen. Good grief...

Posted by: Yip at April 17, 2013 08:15 PM (/jHWN)

195 Just heard on scanner feed: 200,000lbs Anhydrous stored in the plant this morning in rail cars. That...is Bad. Very. Very. Bad.

Posted by: Brother Cavil, elsewhere at April 17, 2013 08:15 PM (m9V0o)

196 Waterhouse, not in this thread. And a lot of other people seem to agree with me Oh, right, "not in this thread". After which you continue with your own hindsight-hand-wringing, which you refuse to acknowledge is at complete odds with your own UTTER AND TOTAL SURPRISE at the extent of the explosion. Seriously, just shut the fuck up.

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 17, 2013 08:15 PM (lFk6F)

197 live cam now showing buildings that collapsed from the shock ewave

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:15 PM (piMMO)

198

my guess is the girl is ok now, since the father posted the video.

He won't be when child sevices gets a'hold of him.

Posted by: harleycowboy at April 17, 2013 08:15 PM (+9AX9)

199
local nbc news guy talking about "leveling in a 5 block radius".

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 08:16 PM (mKNJE)

200 Waterhouse, go fuck yaself, eh?

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 08:16 PM (8lmkt)

201 Wait a minute, 200k lbs??? Everyone run as far away as possible. Let it all burn down and blow up.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:16 PM (OCvUs)

202 187 I am sorry but that 'dad' is getting no slack from me. He put filming a fertilizer plant on fire ahead of getting out of there so his child would be out of all danger.
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 18, 2013 12:13 AM

I don't think he knew what was burning or what was burning could do when it blew. Looked like he was about 1/4 mile away and probably had no idea what a huge explosion AN makes

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 08:16 PM (mCvL4)

203 Posted by: Lauren at April 18, 2013 12:13 AM (wsGWu)

No idea if it is or not, someone had it linked in their twitter feed. But snipped a pic of it just in case.

Posted by: Country Singer at April 17, 2013 08:16 PM (0eRkg)

204 Local Houston coverage is also excellent.

Posted by: Ernie McCracken at April 17, 2013 08:17 PM (ZETiK)

205 Yeah, I guess I'll cut the dad a little slack. It's not like he'd ever SEEN a fertilizer plant go up like this before. Probably knew that the stuff was explosive (I'd reckon every adult living in West was aware of that), but didn't really understand what that could mean.

I think I'm just reacting viscerally to the heartbreaking cries of the kid (can't tell if it's a young boy or a girl, could be either). And I'm assuming that he/she is feeling better now, because otherwise why would the father (i.e. taper) post this on YouTube?

He definitely got THE videotape of the event, for whatever that's worth.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:17 PM (/COnL)

206 Did the town have an evacuation siren?

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:17 PM (Y8t25)

207 lightning strike starts chemical fire at OKC plant http://www.newson6.com/story/22008602/lightning-strike-ignites-fire-at-tank-battery-in-ne-okc

Posted by: ace at April 17, 2013 08:18 PM (LCRYB)

208 TwitchyTeam ‏@TwitchyTeam 2m Rhode Island professor Erik Loomis blames West, Texas, explosion on lack of unions and bad zoning http://bit.ly/14xCZtg

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:18 PM (piMMO)

209 NDH, this gives an idea (from the Halifax explosion):

Approximately 20 minutes later (at 9:04:35 am), Mont-Blanc exploded with tremendous force ^[7] Nearly all structures within a half-mile radius, including the entire community of Richmond, were completely obliterated. A pressure wave of air snapped trees, bent iron rails, demolished buildings, grounded vessels, and carried fragments of the Mont-Blanc for kilometres. Hardly a window in the city proper survived the concussion.

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 08:18 PM (+iA5G)

210 FNC punted

Posted by: Doc at April 17, 2013 08:18 PM (oUDps)

211
fox went back to re-runs.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 08:18 PM (mKNJE)

212 And Fox goes back to the Hannity rerun.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 08:19 PM (kRPdA)

213 One night a couple years ago we heard lots of sirens close to our house so my son and I walked up to the corner to see what was going on. One house was fully engulfed in fire, the house next door caught fire, the trees were catching fire, there was puddles of fire on the ground. My boy said "I think we should not be here" I agreed and we walked home. However several people with babies--like infants in their arms were standing directly across the street from the fire. Curiosity overcomes common sense in a lot of cases.

Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at April 17, 2013 08:19 PM (RZ8pf)

214 Posted by: ace at April 18, 2013 12:18 AM (LCRYB)

fuck

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 08:19 PM (8lmkt)

215 Why would you want to spend even a minute of your time on that? Because you could spend your time praying for the good people of West, Texas. I never had a scab I didn't pick, I'm just that kind of a girl, but I never got why any member of the horde would bother to look at someone else's mental diarrhea. -------- Saw the link, clicked not knowing what it was. Was floored when i saw that. Many prayers incoming.

Posted by: ElKomandante at April 17, 2013 08:19 PM (Ew7nO)

216 Would everybody also please shut the fuck up with the "Waco anniversary" shit?

Bad enough that the fucking media is going to bring on "experts" and Drunk Asshole Matthews will yammer over and over about "we don't know yet, but it is near April 19 with Waco and OKC and Texas is full of murdering Christians"

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 08:19 PM (mCvL4)

217 LORD have MERCY on ALL those Souls!

Reportedly this blast was felt and heard as far away as Alvarado (41 miles) and south Dallas (80 miles)

PLEASE to any and all "second guessers / Monday morning quarterbackers" - GIVE it a REST! Anhydrous ammonia while a quite nasty substance is not the least bit uncommon and definitely needed for farming and other industry............

Posted by: Katfish at April 17, 2013 08:20 PM (Nx5wc)

218 actually it says that's a fire at a "tank battery."

Posted by: ace at April 17, 2013 08:20 PM (LCRYB)

219 Waterhouse, please drop this crap. Why do you want turn this thread into another flamewar about me? I just want to talk about this event with others here.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:20 PM (/COnL)

220 Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 18, 2013 12:18 AM (piMMO)

They really just can't help themselves, can they?

Posted by: Country Singer at April 17, 2013 08:20 PM (0eRkg)

221 Ammonium nitrate provides plants with a direct nutrient, the nitrate, and an indirect one, the ammonium part. Bacteria in the soil will convert the ammonium to nitrate. It's a double dose of fertilizer goodness. The problem comes from all that chemical potential energy stored in one compound. It just wants to react. Like crazy. IIRC.

Posted by: eman at April 17, 2013 08:21 PM (71gyQ)

222 >>>TwitchyTeam ‏@TwitchyTeam 2m
Rhode Island professor Erik Loomis blames West, Texas, explosion on lack of unions and bad zoning http://bit.ly/14xCZtg

These people really are ghouls, aren't they.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:21 PM (/COnL)

223 Approximately 20 minutes later (at 9:04:35 am), Mont-Blanc exploded with tremendous force [7] Nearly all structures within a half-mile radius, including the entire community of Richmond, were completely obliterated. A pressure wave of air snapped trees, bent iron rails, demolished buildings, grounded vessels, and carried fragments of the Mont-Blanc for kilometres. Hardly a window in the city proper survived the concussion. ** Jesus. Just incredible. I know there's a bit of ambulance chasing involved in watching these events but the force of nature is simply fascinating.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:21 PM (piMMO)

224 60-70 dead, according to the latest local reports: http://tinyurl.com/d4dofnj Fuck.

Posted by: NukemHill at April 17, 2013 08:22 PM (7WLzC)

225 Wel they say the OK fire is contained. Lets hope it stays that way.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:22 PM (OCvUs)

226 I did some work at a place that had a huge industrial chiller/freezer system that used Ammonia as the refrigerant.

The guys who worked there pointed at a red strobe and siren on the wall and said if you see that light or hear the siren go off, get the fuck out of the building NOW.

Leaking pure ammonia will put you down hard and fast.

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 08:22 PM (/gHaE)

227 They heard the blast in Dallas.

Posted by: Dr Spank at April 17, 2013 08:22 PM (4cRnj)

228 Enough for one night. Let's try this again tomorrow, without the crap-blowing-up part, which is getting supremely old. Prayers for all, and good night.

Posted by: Brother Cavil, elsewhere at April 17, 2013 08:22 PM (m9V0o)

229

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 08:22 PM (cipri)

230 Oops.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 08:23 PM (cipri)

231 live cam, again http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Explosion-Rocks-Fertilizer-Plant-During-Fire-203508011.html

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:23 PM (piMMO)

232 Stolen from Hot Air, but holy living fuck here's a picture of what's left of apartment buildings near the explosion: http://t.co/YAaOR3YOs7

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:24 PM (/COnL)

233 I saw the video and immediately thought that it was probably a bigger blast than the Pepcon explosion in Nevada. That was a Richter scale level blast. Shattered windows ten miles away. Same with this one. Prayers for affected Texans.

Posted by: model_1066 at April 17, 2013 08:25 PM (7xPCu)

234 The Texas City blast was on April 16, 1947. Creepy.

That blast of AMFO in a cargo ship blew other ships out of the water and debris killed people miles away.

Posted by: epobirs at April 17, 2013 08:25 PM (kcfmt)

235 208 TwitchyTeam ‏@TwitchyTeam 2m
Rhode Island professor Erik Loomis blames West, Texas, explosion on lack of unions and bad zoning http://bit.ly/14xCZtg Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 18, 2013 12:18 AM

Every asshole who politicizes a tragedy before the dead are even buried should be beaten to a pulp with a shovel

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 08:25 PM (mCvL4)

236 What are they saying about another tank?

Posted by: Caustic at April 17, 2013 08:26 PM (/b8+5)

237 Texas City news reel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM7zRSxt584

Posted by: epobirs at April 17, 2013 08:26 PM (kcfmt)

238 "lack of unions," what there should be some kinda 1-day rule before you're allowed to engage in political bullshit on stuff like this

Posted by: JDP at April 17, 2013 08:26 PM (8HhF2)

239 Every asshole who politicizes a tragedy before the dead are even buried should be beaten to a pulp with a shovel *** I'm game.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:26 PM (piMMO)

240 Every asshole who politicizes a tragedy before the dead are even buried should be beaten to a pulp with a shovel Posted by: kbdabear at April 18, 2013 12:25 AM (mCvL4) Agreed!

Posted by: kawfytawk at April 17, 2013 08:26 PM (qdzWt)

241 As an aside, the official Christmas tree of the city of Boston is given every year by the city of Halifax, in gratitude for the great aid of Bostonians given after the Halifax Explosion.

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 08:27 PM (+iA5G)

242 had a huge industrial chiller/freezer system that used Ammonia as the refrigerant..

ammonia as a refrigerant is 'self-alarming' - no detectors needed, you'll know well below lethal levels if there is a leak.

The synthetics need detectors.

Posted by: Obamao at April 17, 2013 08:27 PM (JtyGg)

243 For a comparison what mere ammunition and fuel can do when combined with carelessness. The 1944 West Loch explosion at Pearl Harbor. 163 killed and ships sunk.

http://www.uslst.org/archive_second_pearl_harbor.htm

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:27 PM (OCvUs)

244 that nbc link looked like it showed a burned out motel.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 08:28 PM (mKNJE)

245

jesus Christ

prayers to the people out there

makes me wonder about the natural gas storage plant less than a half mile from downtown Honolulu and less than a mile from my house

Posted by: navycopjoe at April 17, 2013 08:28 PM (UJm0p)

246 Local news reporting the fire is under control

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:28 PM (piMMO)

247 what's left of apartment buildings near the explosion

Yea, wood frame, no plywood sheathing, just siding hung over studs, drywall on the inside. You see that in some parts of the country...

...you can break into places like that quicker than you can open the door with a key.

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 08:28 PM (/gHaE)

248 What are they saying about another tank? Posted by: Caustic at April 18, 2013 12:26 AM (/b8+5) Apparently there is another tank on fire. My brother mentioned to me a while ago that he thought he saw other tanks in the overhead pics on CNN.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 08:28 PM (kRPdA)

249 kawfytawk, evacuate upwind and stay higher then the plant. I just ran some SCIPUFF/vlstrak notional runs. If there is a visible cloud at those temperatures then it is a shit load of am. If the wind is still 20kt then the wind will push it wide and low. Since it is still an urban area, structures are going to break it up and cause significantly higher local concentrations. That's the good news. If the wind isn't blowing, and there is anything close to that quantity (200K) of liquid boiling off to vapor - you get a big high density puddle. Leave.

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:29 PM (LBUCy)

250 Is that the stuff you mix with Sudafed?

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 08:29 PM (cipri)

251 I continue to be impressed with the NBC DFW newscasters, they are managing to report calmly with no wild speculation and exaggeration.

Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at April 17, 2013 08:29 PM (RZ8pf)

252 This is going to sound like the stupidest question in the world, but someone want to explain to me just how horribly toxic this potential ammonia cloud could be?

Like, I get that ammonia is a Bad Thing. But what level of Bad Thing are we talking about? Salt-the-earth "nothing will grow here for years" bad? Write-off-the-town-as-a-loss bad?

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:30 PM (/COnL)

253 local news just updated. 200 injured. 40 critical. They d not yet have the death toll. 75-100 homes and businesses destroyed

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:31 PM (piMMO)

254

>>>they are managing to report calmly with no wild speculation and exaggeration.

That won't do!

Posted by: Wolfe Blitzer at April 17, 2013 08:31 PM (D3++J)

255 I continue to be impressed with the NBC DFW newscasters, they are managing to report calmly with no wild speculation and exaggeration. *** yes. they will not speculate on a death toll and I think that's both wise and humane.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:32 PM (piMMO)

256 how horribly toxic this potential ammonia cloud could be?

No real long term issues once it dissipates. Its not like spilling 200k gallons of dioxin all over the ground.

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 08:32 PM (/gHaE)

257 Every asshole who politicizes a tragedy before the dead are even buried should be beaten to a pulp with a shovel Posted by: kbdabear at April 18, 2013 12:25 AM (mCvL4) Amen. The political climate is shit nowadays. People waiting to condemn the murderer (or defend/praise) as long as he/she is on the right team team.

Posted by: RWC at April 17, 2013 08:32 PM (Wl/Ht)

258 I will say one thing, if this had to happen, at least it happened in Texas, which is absolutely loaded with great people who all turned out to help the second they heard the news. I don't think even the USMC could've done better as far as response.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 08:32 PM (8lmkt)

259 Cnn reporting 2 confirmed dead

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:33 PM (piMMO)

260 If we heard it in Dallas, it's not going to matter how much the town of West had encroached on the plant. The noise but most especially the fall out will travel far. There comes a time when the disaster trumps all human plans. Praying fervently for all involved.

Posted by: Ragamuffin at April 17, 2013 08:33 PM (fzFF6)

261 Amazing to still read this. Gives an idea what West may be experiencing right now:

At 9:04:35 am, the out of control fire aboard Mont-Blanc finally caused her highly volatile cargo to explode. The ship was instantly disintegrated; the remains of her hull launched high into the air. The blast travelled at more than 1,000 metres per second. Temperatures of 5,000Â°C and pressures of thousands of atmospheres accompanied the moment of detonation at the centre of the explosion.^[40] White-hot shards of iron rained down upon Halifax and Dartmouth.^[41]

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 08:34 PM (+iA5G)

262 This is going to sound like the stupidest question in the world, but someone want to explain to me just how horribly toxic this potential ammonia cloud could be?

Open a jug from under your sink and give it whiff... that was a well below LD50, just burns a little. If you get stuck in a cloud of it you are a goner... half an hour later no one would know it was ever there.

Posted by: Obamao at April 17, 2013 08:34 PM (JtyGg)

263 Is Obama and his big ugly wife gonna come visit the town? That lying asshole just signed an "emergency declaration" for Massachusetts. Whyyyyy?

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 08:34 PM (hNqVf)

264 Oh shit. http://bit.ly/15gOCE2

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:34 PM (piMMO)

265 Lets form a shovel brigade and roll into CNN in Atlanta first. Hey Wolfie....

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:34 PM (OCvUs)

266 We don't have anyone who can read a teleprompter who can speak English properly?

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 08:34 PM (cipri)

267 If you think that the plant may have been too close to the town, you might want to look into how close you are to a gas pipeline. I was about 12 miles away from one that blew. Lit up the sky like it was day. We managed to get closer to it. You could feel the heat from it 3 miles away. Local loggers said that the same line ran behind the high school. It may not be as devastating as this fire/explosion unless it happens to be your house that goes up.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at April 17, 2013 08:34 PM (Lqy/e)

268 Cleanup at post 271 on the original Waco thread. If we were able to strangle people through the computer screen......

Posted by: Damn Sockpuppet at April 17, 2013 08:35 PM (yJYwC)

269 Good night and God bless and look after the people in West.

Posted by: Joethefatman™ (@joethefatman1) at April 17, 2013 08:35 PM (MnSla)

270 KHOU in Houston reporting second tank fire is contained.

Posted by: Ernie McCracken at April 17, 2013 08:35 PM (ZETiK)

271 I'm so sorry for these poor folks and that community. Good Lord. Thoughts and prayers.

Firefighters are heroes.

It's only April and I'm about ready to see the back of 2013. Let's just total it, write off what's left, and start over with a fresh year.

Random Q for older morons: Is this what the really shitty "malaise" years of the early 1970s felt like?

Posted by: P.M. at April 17, 2013 08:35 PM (bPsSR)

272 That lying asshole just signed an "emergency declaration" for Massachusetts.

Whyyyyy?

Posted by: soothsayer at April 18, 2013 12:34 AM (hNqVf)

why not????

Posted by: Ass-licking dog at April 17, 2013 08:35 PM (8lmkt)

273 so is this the propprt 'last thread of the day?

Posted by: Jake in Idaho at April 17, 2013 08:36 PM (zzeVM)

274 232 here's a picture of what's left of apartment buildings near the explosion: http://t.co/YAaOR3YOs7

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 18, 2013 12:24 AM (/COnL)

From Google earth that looks like a building directly right across to the plant.

31Â°48'58.29" N 97Â°05'23.25" W

Posted by: Trevor (@tjexcite) at April 17, 2013 08:36 PM (CdeLs)

275 We all are Malaisians now.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 08:36 PM (cipri)

276 God bless those who have perished. Crazy event. Just crazy.

Posted by: Prescient11 at April 17, 2013 08:36 PM (e9UmP)

277 Yikes NDH... I would call that a low yield nuclear weapon almost...

Pray for the people folks.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:36 PM (OCvUs)

278 Per the link, KWTC reporting that the EMS Director estimates 60-70 dead. http://bit.ly/15gOCE2

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:37 PM (piMMO)

279 This picture is amazing : http://tinyurl.com/d2y5z62

Posted by: Dr Spank at April 17, 2013 08:37 PM (4cRnj)

280 From Google earth that looks like a building directly right across to the plant.

I like the round kids playground right there too.

Posted by: Obamao at April 17, 2013 08:37 PM (JtyGg)

281 Random Q for older morons: Is this what the really shitty "malaise" years of the early 1970s felt like? Posted by: P.M. at April 18, 2013 12:35 AM (bPsSR) Yes. Some of the shitty styles even came back in. The last few years have been deja vu all over again for me.

Posted by: stace at April 17, 2013 08:38 PM (DX63t)

282 Hiroshima looking cloud.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 08:38 PM (cipri)

283 Yeah, that sounds more like, it Niedermeyer. Little corner of hell went to Texas tonight. I can't keep listening, I am off to bed. Where I will send up prayers, for all the fuckin' good they seem to do anymore.

Sorry for that.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 08:39 PM (8lmkt)

284 And people are always encroaching with subdivisions airports.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:39 PM (OCvUs)

285 Like, I get that ammonia is a Bad Thing. But what level of Bad Thing are we talking about? Salt-the-earth "nothing will grow here for years" bad? Write-off-the-town-as-a-loss bad? Posted by: Jeff B. at April 18, 2013 12:30 AM (/COnL) Bad. And when you have ammonium nitrate, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. Blocks-are-leveled-bad.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 08:39 PM (kRPdA)

286 From Google earth that looks like a building directly right across to the plant. *** And the NBC station keeps showing a photo of another apt bldg where the entire second floor collapsed.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:39 PM (piMMO)

287 Lot like the 1970s except with fewer plane crashes, especially since they retired the DC-10.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at April 17, 2013 08:39 PM (8E3pj)

288 267
Posted by: Notsothoreau at April 18, 2013 12:34 AM (Lqy/e)

I live about 200 FEET from a gasoline pipeline and about 3/4 mile from a crude oil pipeline.

Good night for real this time.

Posted by: Joethefatman™ (@joethefatman1) at April 17, 2013 08:40 PM (MnSla)

289 While Im not aware of any fertilizer plants in the general vicinity of the greater NOLA area, because we have the Mississippi River running straight thru our city, we have huge petrochemical storage plants( tank farms/batteries), chemical plants, coal storage facilities and grain elevators all over the metro area. Grain dust and coal dust are very explosive. There was an explosion in the middle of the night when I was a kid at a grain elevator about 6 miles as the crow flies from me and it broke windows and knocked us out of bed scared the shit out of me.

Posted by: helofixer at April 17, 2013 08:40 PM (T4PAi)

290 I think we all know who did this and why, but I'm not gonna say it.

Posted by: Westboro Baptist Church at April 17, 2013 08:40 PM (LmD/o)

291 Yea, wood frame, no plywood sheathing, just siding hung over studs, drywall on the inside. You see that in some parts of the country...

...you can break into places like that quicker than you can open the door with a key.
Posted by: @PurpAv at April 18, 2013 12:28 AM

My dad told me after Hurricane Andrew devastated Homestead that most of those homes were damn near stapled together. Older homes in Florida are cinderblock with bolted roofs that can take quite a beating.

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 08:40 PM (mCvL4)

292 Ammonia is bad, not the worst. It burn (actually a corrosive reaction) soft tissue like eyes and lungs.

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:40 PM (LBUCy)

293 Lot like the 1970s except with fewer plane crashes, especially since they retired the DC-10. Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at April 18, 2013 12:39 AM (8E3pj) and lacking a international crisis like the Irnian hostage fiasco

Posted by: Jake in Idaho at April 17, 2013 08:41 PM (zzeVM)

294 It's settled, then. There is no problem in the world that cannot be solved, no disease that cannot be cured, and no tragedy that cannot be averted by Marxism.

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 08:41 PM (DlaLh)

295
News just played "the kid" video and confirmed they are ok and safe at home.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at April 17, 2013 08:41 PM (mKNJE)

296 Well come on BFM the DC-10/MD-11/Boeing whatever was not that bad. Once they stopped using forklifts to jack wing engines into place, fixed the faulty cargo hatches, and sorted out the tail hydraulics so a fractured turbine disc would not knock them all out.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:42 PM (OCvUs)

297 I feel bad for President Obama. He's having a bad week. Why would anyone begrudge him a relaxing round at Congressional tomorrow?

Posted by: Stalin's Lumpy Boil at April 17, 2013 08:42 PM (66zNN)

298 Joe, don't worry about the crude, I would move away from the gas line.

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:42 PM (LBUCy)

299 My dad told me after Hurricane Andrew devastated Homestead that most of those homes were damn near stapled together. Older homes in Florida are cinderblock with bolted roofs that can take quite a beating. Posted by: kbdabear at April 18, 2013 12:40 AM (mCvL4) The SO's parents are in an area that got smacked by Charlie and they call it "Saint Charlie" because it cleared out pretty much everything not built to code.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 08:42 PM (kRPdA)

300 Good night 'rons and 'ettes. I am very thankful through this awful night that I didn't have to watch this alone.

May God have mercy.

Posted by: Cheri at April 17, 2013 08:42 PM (EAgmr)

301 yeah, I've got a gas pipeline (jet engine fuel) about 500 feet from my back property line. It runs pretty much snug up against the new middle school building, conveniently under power lines. Wouldn't surprise me if the whole thing were on top of an Indian burial ground. But I was assured when I purchased my home that it was all perfectly safe.

Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at April 17, 2013 08:42 PM (RZ8pf)

302 258 I will say one thing, if this had to happen, at least it happened in Texas, which is absolutely loaded with great people who all turned out to help the second they heard the news. I don't think even the USMC could've done better as far as response. Posted by: Peaches at April 18, 2013 12:32 AM (8lmkt) I take your point, and it's a good one, but that also means we're losing some of those good people tonight. Now if this had happened at a certain Rhode Island professor's house...

Posted by: Weirddave at April 17, 2013 08:43 PM (aH+zP)

303 yeah, I've got a gas pipeline (jet engine fuel) about 500 feet from my back property line. It runs pretty much snug up against the new middle school building, conveniently under power lines. Wouldn't surprise me if the whole thing were on top of an Indian burial ground. But I was assured when I purchased my home that it was all perfectly safe. *** What? No fireworks factory?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:44 PM (piMMO)

304 The fireworks factory is located across the street from the retirement home and fire station.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:44 PM (OCvUs)

305 249 Jean, The winds are gusting towards Hillsboro. We are in Waco area. Its supposed to change direction as the night goes on as the cold front comes in. The local news doesn't seem concerned aside from informing us the wind direction and where the fumes are blowing etc.....but I wasn't sure how bad these fumes are and how fast they dissipate. Thank you for the info

Posted by: kawfytawk at April 17, 2013 08:45 PM (qdzWt)

306 They may need to look into some zoning ordinances after this.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 08:46 PM (cipri)

307 As far as gas mains, one blew up in South Plainfield NJ in 1994, took out an apartment complex but miraculously no one was killed

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 08:47 PM (mCvL4)

308 Like, I get that ammonia is a Bad Thing. But what level of Bad Thing are we talking about? Salt-the-earth "nothing will grow here for years" bad? Write-off-the-town-as-a-loss bad? Posted by: Jeff B. at April 18, 2013 12:30 AM (/COnL) Â“Ammonia SuitÂ” for Rescue Unit Protects Skin from Burns http://tinyurl.com/ct9xdsk

Posted by: The Political Hat at April 17, 2013 08:48 PM (Vk2pI)

309 Wouldn't surprise me if the whole thing were on top of an Indian burial ground. But I was assured when I purchased my home that it was all perfectly safe.

dammit, girl, you went and made me laugh out loud. I denounce myself, I wouldn't have thought it possible tonight.

Posted by: Peaches at April 17, 2013 08:50 PM (8lmkt)

310 BTW, anyone who's ever lived in NJ knows that there are shitloads of chemical plants and refineries in some of the most densely populated areas of the country

There is a large refinery in Linden NJ which is only a few miles south of Newark Airport, and the flight path goes directly over it

Also, Port Newark takes in supertankers that have to enter through the Verrazano Narrows

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 08:50 PM (mCvL4)

311 Very glad to hear the family is ok and safe at home. Fuck. With that good night morans.

Posted by: Prescient11 at April 17, 2013 08:50 PM (e9UmP)

312 There was a really weird California incident. Railroad tracks and a gasoline pipeline ran down the same corridor. Next to the tracks was a row of homes. Well a train derailed right into some of the houses. All kinds of damage and think deaths. They used heavy machinery to move the locomotive and train out plus to do cleanup. Tested the gasoline pipeline and it tested fine. So let gas flow again. Then a short while later the pipeline failed and exploded. Again damage and death IIRC. Turns out the heavy machinery had lightly damaged the pipe and it took time for it to fail.

The rail line and pipeline are still there. But the houses are no longer near by.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:51 PM (OCvUs)

313 the DC-10 was a beauty, big like a 747 If I recall, a DC10 crashed near OHare in Chicago and killed over 300. And that was the end of the DC 10. I was maybe 8 or 9 when that happened and that was when I became fascinated with airplane crashes.

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 08:51 PM (GcwH1)

314 Goodnight Prescient

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:51 PM (piMMO)

315 if there is an upside to this ..... There are sooooo many volunteers at the scene now that they are beginning to send them home. God Bless Texas and their selfless helping hearts.

Posted by: kawfytawk at April 17, 2013 08:52 PM (qdzWt)

316 kawfytawk, how far away is Waco. I just told my kin in Aquilla to stay put, but they are uphill and about 20mi away. I would not stay in any low area within 5 mi, period, regardless of wind direction.

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:52 PM (fW/Ev)

317 304 The fireworks factory is located across the street from the retirement home and fire station. Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 18, 2013 12:44 AM (OCvUs) Latest i heard was the fireworks sub-leased some space for 'Adorable Puppy and Sneaky Kitty Emporium.'

Posted by: RWC at April 17, 2013 08:52 PM (Wl/Ht)

318 There's a lotta developments in FL with OSB roof sheathing that's stapled down.

My crib is CBS with nailed down plywood...

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 08:52 PM (/gHaE)

319 The DC10 had an amazing autopilot. Damn near the first UAV.

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:53 PM (fW/Ev)

320 another beauty was the L 1011 (L Ten-Eleven) a.k.a. Tristar for it's three engines

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 08:53 PM (jlW3q)

321

"dammit, girl, you went and made me laugh out loud. I denounce myself, I wouldn't have thought it possible tonight."

Sometimes it's all you can do. Otherwise we'd all be curled up in the fetal position...especially nowadays.

Posted by: Icedog at April 17, 2013 08:53 PM (ZolUS)

322 OK, folks I'm out for the night. See y'all tomorrow while taking breaks from having to almost completely rewrite one of the course modules I teach.

Posted by: Country Singer at April 17, 2013 08:53 PM (0eRkg)

323 There's a local story on the myfoxdfw site. A guy in Ft. Worth posed on Craiglist saying he had a cell phone to sell and arranged to meet a buyer. Then he tried to rob the buyer. The buyer had a concealed handgun license and shot the would-be robber (who was recently released from prison after serving time for a "violent crime.") Would-be robber now dead.

Posted by: Mayday at April 17, 2013 08:54 PM (F3s39)

324 Jean....we are about 20 miles away...so Im out of that 5 mi circle....phew

Posted by: kawfytawk at April 17, 2013 08:54 PM (qdzWt)

325 Sorry L1011 had the autopilot.

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 08:54 PM (fW/Ev)

326 'night CS

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:55 PM (piMMO)

327 Prayers, prayers, prayers.

Posted by: Aslan's Girl at April 17, 2013 08:55 PM (KL49F)

328 "There was a really weird California incident"

the article for that at wiki is San Bernardino Train Disaster

Posted by: dudenolongerinsantacruz at April 17, 2013 08:55 PM (ZCu9v)

329 Several DC-10s had suffered a sudden decompression of the cargo area that caused the cabin floors to collapse. Thus cutting flight controls. That was bad. And very fatal.

Then the Chicago crash happened because the airline used a forklift to lift one of the wing engines into place. That put odd stresses on at least one of the three bolts that held the engine and pylon to the wing. So the engine fell off and the plane fell out of the sky at take off.

And finally there was the incident where the tail engine suffered a fractured turbine blade. Engine grenaded and took out all the hydraulic lines. Which left the pilots with throttles and that was about it. Still managed to land the plane only for it cartwheel. Still a lot of people walked away.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 08:56 PM (OCvUs)

330

Latest i heard was the fireworks sub-leased some space for 'Adorable Puppy and Sneaky Kitty Emporium.'

yeah and the innocent orphans home is next to the fire station by the fluffy bunny rescue center. It's a weird neighborhood but it kind of grows on you.

Posted by: ParanoidGirlInSeattle at April 17, 2013 08:56 PM (RZ8pf)

331 Howard Hughs thought the DC-10 was a shit design.

He may have been crazy as a bedbug and collected his piss in bottles, but I respect his opinion on airplanes.

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 17, 2013 08:56 PM (/gHaE)

332 still no Fish, eh? I'm a bit concerned. Wish he'd pop in and say he's okay. Fish was a pilot (military and commercial, I believe), that's why I'm thinking of him.

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 08:56 PM (xVKk3)

333 There's a local story on the myfoxdfw site. A guy in Ft. Worth posed on Craiglist saying he had a cell phone to sell and arranged to meet a buyer. Then he tried to rob the buyer. The buyer had a concealed handgun license and shot the would-be robber (who was recently released from prison after serving time for a "violent crime.") Would-be robber now dead. *** If you're on twitter, there's someone who tweets stories like this all day. I feel good knowing that they were able to defend themselves.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:56 PM (piMMO)

334 >>>Posted by: Stalin's Lumpy Boil at April 18, 2013 12:42 AM (66zNN)

Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but please go die, Erg.

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:57 PM (/COnL)

335
That fertilizer plant wasn't as big I thought.

Posted by: YIKES! at April 17, 2013 08:57 PM (mETGQ)

336 Here's that twitter address for anyone who wants to follow: https://twitter.com/EqlF1

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 08:58 PM (piMMO)

337 (That is, assuming you're Erg and not someone who's just sock-puppeting Erg's new asshole name as seen in the other explosion thread.)

Posted by: Jeff B. at April 17, 2013 08:58 PM (/COnL)

338 Rhonda Nelson ‏@rln22 1h

West, Texas has approaching storm system with gusts of 30 mph winds. More problems for fire fighters.

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 08:58 PM (mCvL4)

339 If I recall, a DC10 crashed near OHare in Chicago and killed over 300. And that was the end of the DC 10. The DC-10 program survived a pretty-astonishing number of fatal accidents. They continued to build it for nine or ten years after the O'Hare accident. Plus the MD-11 on top of that. The thing even eventually took down a Concorde. OTOH, still (IIRC) statistically safer than driving.

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 17, 2013 08:58 PM (lFk6F)

340 I'm starting to think Obama is bad luck.

Posted by: Dr Spank at April 17, 2013 08:59 PM (4cRnj)

341 Somebody turned the lights back on at Matt's place.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:00 PM (cipri)

342 If you're on twitter, there's someone who tweets stories like this all day.

I feel good knowing that they were able to defend themselves.
--

Thanks. I just thought I'd end the night on a happier note. Night everyone.

Posted by: Mayday at April 17, 2013 09:00 PM (F3s39)

343 photos from Fox NEws http://fxn.ws/XHEU9v

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:01 PM (piMMO)

344 Ammonium nitrate and Texas have history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_Disaster

Posted by: phunctor` at April 17, 2013 09:01 PM (7TBE3)

345 Somebody turned the lights back on at Matt's place. Bars closed

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 09:01 PM (k8qQE)

346 ^Â§^The thing even eventually took down a Concorde. This doesn't ring a bell. What was it, a midair collision?

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:02 PM (E7Qlq)

347 L-1011 Delta Flight 401. Christmas time flight to Miami.
One landing gear bulb burned out. The crew started to troubleshoot that problem. Were put in a hold orbit and engaged the autopilot.

But they started wrestling with that bulb in the center console. The pilot and co-pilot autopilot disengages were set to different pressures. And because of how the center console was set up, neither pilot could see the other position's auto-pilot indicator. One of them nudged their control stick with enough pressure to disengage. But the other still showed the auto-pilot was engaged. Since the place was at low altitude over the Everglades at night, there were no visual cues as the plane entered a gentle descent. By the time the flight engineer down in the Hell Hole was screaming of ground it was too late.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:03 PM (OCvUs)

348 kawfytawk, 20mi isn't complete safe. But the circumstances to threaten you are pretty tight. If you had some reason to slow your evac, and had somewhere to go. I would go. If your healthy, mobile, and can roll if things change, then your likely ok.

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 09:04 PM (DcbLC)

349 Back ?

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 09:05 PM (DcbLC)

350 That refueling island off of Africa?

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:05 PM (cipri)

351 Drudge finally wakes up

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:06 PM (piMMO)

352 Anna, see what happens when you turn it off

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 09:06 PM (DcbLC)

353 NDH, the bars closed

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 09:07 PM (DcbLC)

354 Knave. In the Azores? no ground radar. A bit of weather. Impatience and two 747s full of tourists. Bad day all around.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:07 PM (OCvUs)

355 I have a brother about 20 miles away- big boom. It shook windows at my sister's house ~ 50 miles away.

Posted by: Beefy Meatball at April 17, 2013 09:07 PM (i7B17)

356 NDH, the bars closed *** Is it just us here?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:08 PM (piMMO)

357 353 Maybe I remembered that incorrectly.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:08 PM (cipri)

358 I'm in the Detroit area, and we covered this on our local news.

Posted by: shibumi at April 17, 2013 09:08 PM (z63Tr)

359 There's a conservative in Detroit?

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 09:09 PM (DcbLC)

360 the Everglades crash was horrific...because...alligators they made a tv movie about it starring Ponch from Chips the airline name escapes me..some goofy name with a goofy emblem

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:09 PM (C0ttM)

361 Jean. Well the crew lost their SA. Both pilots were in a death match to shove the bulb back in. The flight engineer and another Delta flight crew who was dead heading were in the Hell Hole where they forgot where the light switch was to see through the telescope. So they could not see if the nose gear was down. And next thing, Flight 401 was in the swamps.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:09 PM (OCvUs)

362 355 NDH, the bars closed

***

Is it just us here?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 18, 2013 01:08 AM (piMMO)

--Not yet.

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 09:09 PM (+iA5G)

363 312 There was a really weird California incident. Railroad tracks and a gasoline pipeline ran down the same corridor. Next to the tracks was a row of homes. Well a train derailed right into some of the houses. All kinds of damage and think deaths. They used heavy machinery to move the locomotive and train out plus to do cleanup. Tested the gasoline pipeline and it tested fine. So let gas flow again. Then a short while later the pipeline failed and exploded. Again damage and death IIRC. Turns out the heavy machinery had lightly damaged the pipe and it took time for it to fail.

The rail line and pipeline are still there. But the houses are no longer near by.
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 18, 2013 12:51 AM

Are you talking about the freight trains that come down through the Cajon Pass into San Bernardino? I remember more than a few derailments through there, it's a very steep drop through there

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 09:10 PM (mCvL4)

364 The "WTF?" in the sidebar has me going, WTF? What *is* our relationship with Saudi Arabia? Sorry, I know, I'm just a citizen. Carry on, elites...

Posted by: t-bird at April 17, 2013 09:10 PM (FcR7P)

365 This doesn't ring a bell. What was it, a midair collision

Strip of metal came off DC-10, and was on the runway. Concorde took off on the runway, hit the metal, a tire exploded and hit the underside of the wing, (where fuel is kept), fire broke out and brought down the plane a little bit later.

Posted by: dudenolongerinsantacruz at April 17, 2013 09:10 PM (ZCu9v)

366 Another video of Mushroom cloud http://t.co/FvklCSCgGc That's No Meth Lab.

Posted by: Patrick at April 17, 2013 09:10 PM (6WpNC)

367 #316 - WEST is approx 20 miles north of WACO

A hotline has been set up for an people looking for loved ones possibly injured in the explosion. Here is the number: (254)202-1100.

Posted by: Katfish at April 17, 2013 09:11 PM (Nx5wc)

368 the Everglades crash was horrific...because...alligators they made a tv movie about it starring Ponch from Chips the airline name escapes me..some goofy name with a goofy emblem Posted by: soothsayer at April 18, 2013 01:09 AM (C0ttM) ValuJet, which morphed into AirTran. And I didn't have to look that up.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 09:11 PM (kRPdA)

369 359
the Everglades crash was horrific...because...alligators

they made a tv movie about it starring Ponch from Chips

the airline name escapes me..some goofy name with a goofy emblem

Posted by: soothsayer at April 18, 2013 01:09 AM (C0ttM)

--The predecessor to Air Tran. Valu Jet?

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 09:11 PM (+iA5G)

370 Anna, that aircrew management shit is really important.

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 09:12 PM (DcbLC)

371 so is this the official last post of the day? I'm so confused....

Posted by: Jake in Idaho at April 17, 2013 09:13 PM (zzeVM)

372 one of the more memorable crashes happened during Reagan's first term Does the name Lenny Scutnik ring a bell? the airliner crashed in the Potomac?? very near to a bridge

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:13 PM (DlaLh)

373 Is this the ONT?

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:13 PM (cipri)

374 The airline was Eastern Airlines. If you give me a second I can tell you the N number of the bird that went down.

Frank Borman was president of Eastern. He flew out that night to help with the rescue efforts. Borman was also an Apollo astronaut, something about going around the Moon.

Did I say Delta up above? I am sorry.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:14 PM (OCvUs)

375 Night all. Here's hoping that things don't get worse. Be well all you 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: The Political Hat at April 17, 2013 09:14 PM (Vk2pI)

376 the Everglades crash was horrific...because...alligators

they made a tv movie about it starring Ponch from Chips

the airline name escapes me..some goofy name with a goofy emblem

Posted by: soothsayer at April 18, 2013 01:09 AM

It was Eastern Airlines Flight 401 from JFK to Miami, 12/29/72. The flight engineer and a deadheading Eastern FE were in the hellhole where there was a sight glass that would confirm the gear down and locked but the light on the gear either wasn't working or the FE couldn't find the right switch in time

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 09:14 PM (mCvL4)

377 "Stalin's Lumpy Boil" is a shitheeled troll. Fortunately, he did get smoked in the first explosion thread.

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 09:15 PM (+iA5G)

378 I've stopped for Kolaches and Klobasnek's at the Czech Stop in West, Texas more times than I can count. My thoughts and prayers are with the fine folk in that wonderful little community.

Posted by: Tasmaniac at April 17, 2013 09:15 PM (X2M6S)

379 This doesn't ring a bell. What was it, a midair collision? No, a DC-10 dropped a (non-approved replacement) piece of its thrust reverser which caused an Air France Concorde to cut a tire which damaged a fuel tank which caused a fuel leak which burst into flame which eventually resulted in lost takeoff power and ended in the one and only tragic Concorde crash. Detailed explanation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_4590

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 17, 2013 09:15 PM (lFk6F)

380 Everglades IIRC 737 went into the Potomac. Lack of de-icing.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:16 PM (OCvUs)

381 one of the more memorable crashes happened during Reagan's first term

Does the name Lenny Scutnik ring a bell?

the airliner crashed in the Potomac?? very near to a bridge

Posted by: soothsayer at April 18, 2013 01:13 AM (DlaLh)

--Yeah, the Potomac was partially frozen.

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 09:16 PM (+iA5G)

382 Air Tran! I was trying to remember that. I flew to Jacksonville on them and they were using DC9's that smelled and were worn out like they had 10 million miles on em.

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:16 PM (yVBJI)

383 And obviously someone else (bows to #364) got to it first.

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 17, 2013 09:17 PM (lFk6F)

384 Strip of metal came off DC-10, and was on the runway. Concorde took off on the runway, hit the metal, a tire exploded and hit the underside of the wing, (where fuel is kept), fire broke out and brought down the plane a little bit later *** Missed one step... a piece of tire struck the landing gear and severed an electrical wire which created the spark which lit the fuel. I remember watching it on 60 Seconds to Disaster and marveling at how many things had to go wrong for the tragedy to occur.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:17 PM (piMMO)

385 It was Value Jet, they did all the airplane maintenance in Turkey.

Posted by: Patrick at April 17, 2013 09:17 PM (6WpNC)

386 The Air Tran crash was because the plane was carrying as cargo the oxygen generators that are used when cabin pressure drops down in the cargo hold. Or I could be wrong. Made a huge smoking hole in the ground without a lot of parts left.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:18 PM (OCvUs)

387 valujet flight 592

Posted by: Patrick at April 17, 2013 09:19 PM (6WpNC)

388 Nothing in the vid description re whether the folks in the car were okay. Jesus, may your spirit be with that community. Speaking of which, watching Boston vids, the response of folks (esp in uniform) to the bombings was like that plant explosion, if that's not too weird a metaphor - as said above, sudden and immense. People still pull together in a crisis.

Posted by: A. Mindful Webworker, ready for May at April 17, 2013 09:19 PM (A1yp4)

389 Uh... 60 Second FROM Disaster. duh

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:19 PM (piMMO)

390 right, Value Jet they had a ridiculous cartoonish logo on their tails I remember thinking how pissed I'd be for that logo to be the last thing I'd ever see as I was getting eaten by a gator.

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:20 PM (vanqS)

391 383 Strip of metal came off DC-10, and was on the runway. Concorde took off on the runway, hit the metal, a tire exploded and hit the underside of the wing, (where fuel is kept), fire broke out and brought down the plane a little bit later

***

Missed one step... a piece of tire struck the landing gear and severed an electrical wire which created the spark which lit the fuel.

I remember watching it on 60 Seconds to Disaster and marveling at how many things had to go wrong for the tragedy to occur.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 18, 2013 01:17 AM (piMMO)

--It was also what precipitated the doom of the whole Concorde line.

An early "meme" was an e-mailed photoshop entitled "The truth about Concorde" which had a close-up of a Concorde jet with Bridgestone tires (which were also in the news at the time for a huge recall for blowing up).

Posted by: logprof at April 17, 2013 09:20 PM (+iA5G)

392 I said good night and I meant it at the time, but the live feed and the prior news conference have kept me up.

Posted by: Joethefatman™ (@joethefatman1) at April 17, 2013 09:20 PM (MnSla)

393 Value Jet Changed their name to AIRTRAN

Posted by: Patrick at April 17, 2013 09:21 PM (6WpNC)

394 ValuJet (now AirTran) crashed into the Everglades. Air Florida hit the 14th Street Bridge and crashed into the Potomac after takeoff from Reagan National.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 09:21 PM (kRPdA)

395 it's really amazing how much safer commercial aircraft design, maintenence, and crew managment has gotten (at least in the US) in the last few decades.

Posted by: dudenolongerinsantacruz at April 17, 2013 09:21 PM (ZCu9v)

396 Arland Williams

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 09:22 PM (XwDPQ)

397 the Everglades crash was horrific...because...alligators

they made a tv movie about it starring Ponch from Chips

the airline name escapes me..some goofy name with a goofy emblem

Posted by: soothsayer at April 18, 2013 01:09 AM

Since the crash site was soaked in jet fuel, alligators and snakes probably weren't as great a concern as usual. The soft mud, flat and treeless terrain, and shallow water probably saved the 76 people who survived the crash. The mud also kept the survivors from bleeding to death but many of them had to undergo painful treatment for gas gangrene which mud packed wounds caused

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 09:22 PM (mCvL4)

398 Until 9-11, the deadliest US manmade disaster for firefighters was the ammonium nitrate explosion of two ships in the port of Texas City in the late 40's. A fire started, the firemen were fighting it, and the the ships blew up. I hope this one isn't nearly as bad. Good Lord. Posted by: stace at April 17, 2013 11:51 PM (DX63t) Thanks for the reminder. And remember that ammonium nitrate can detonate without any fuel component being present. Get it in a fire, in a confined space, and it may eventually explode, with the timing very unpredictable. Nevertheless, ANFO, properly handled, is the safest commercial explosive, and is very widely used in the mining industry.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 17, 2013 09:22 PM (29+x5)

399 #362

About ten years before that a model train enthusiast friend showed me an article listing what the author considered the dozen scariest sections of track in the US. That stretch was in there.

For airports the old Hong Kong terminal was pretty scary. There was a German company that had a line of expansion packs for MS Flight Simulator. The one I believe was the best seller was the Worlds Scariest Airports collection. I think it had Hong Kong as #1. P.J. O'Rourke described the landing corridor with apartment building on each side as so narrow you could make eye contact with residents on the way down.

Posted by: epobirs at April 17, 2013 09:23 PM (kcfmt)

400 I wonder if we have scared people off from ever flying now?

Not even gotten to that Helios Air 737 tragedy from Seconds From Disaster. Bad door seal and gentle depressurization knocked everyone out. Plane kept flying on autopilot for several more hours which meant all the people aboard were dead because those little oxygen generators are only good for about an hour. Greek F-16 tried to raise them. One of the flight attendants actually did awaken but the plane ran out of fuel. And there it went down. Helios no longer exists because of their bad maintenance practices.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:23 PM (OCvUs)

401 363 The "WTF?" in the sidebar has me going, WTF?

What *is* our relationship with Saudi Arabia? Sorry, I know, I'm just a citizen. Carry on, elites...

Posted by: t-bird at April 18, 2013 01:10 AM (FcR7P)

What happened on hannity tonight?

Posted by: Caustic at April 17, 2013 09:23 PM (/b8+5)

402 The day after the Air Florida crash, Howard Stern, who was a DC deejay at the time, called the airline and asked for the cost of a one-way ticket to the 14th Street Bridge.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 09:24 PM (kRPdA)

403 Patrick Dollard ‏@PatDollard 3m

BREAKING: Saudi Â‘Person Of InterestÂ’ Allegedly Cleared Of Charges Suddenly Being Deported

http://bit.ly/11yFx5z

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 09:24 PM (mCvL4)

404 oh! the freakiest accident was that flight to (or from?) Hawaii and 7 passengers got sucked out of the cabin then the plane flew back and landed safely with a big hole in it Can you imagine being sitting there and suddenly being sucked out strapped to your seat and watching the plane keep going as if it purposely ejected your ass?? And can you imagine the flight home for the rest of the passengers??

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:25 PM (DlaLh)

405 For airports the old Hong Kong terminal was pretty scary

search for videos of "old kai tek airport". it's crazy

Posted by: dudenolongerinsantacruz at April 17, 2013 09:25 PM (ZCu9v)

406 Compared to the chances of pummeling your thumb with your Mastercraft Bob Vila ThisOldShitÂ™ Corinthian-Leather Edition Deluxe Hammer, the number of things that nowadays have to go wrong before a fatal commercial aviation accident occurs is nearly unbelievable. Nearly. But still only nearly.

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 17, 2013 09:25 PM (lFk6F)

407 Maybe they can water board him for us

Posted by: Jean at April 17, 2013 09:27 PM (XwDPQ)

408 search for videos of "old kai tek airport". it's crazy

Posted by: dudenolongerinsantacruz

Kai Tak

/pedant

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at April 17, 2013 09:28 PM (5Hl3g)

409 #390

IIRC, the Concorde's retirement had already been scheduled when the crash happened. The fleet was getting pretty old and the hassles in keeping it going, more political than mechanical, had overwhelmed the national pride argument for keeping it going. It had always been a money loser but the severe restrictions on usable routes prevented the intended next generation of more efficient designs from ever being produced.

Posted by: epobirs at April 17, 2013 09:28 PM (kcfmt)

410 Eastern Flight 401
https://sites.google.com/site/eastern401/

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:28 PM (OCvUs)

411 IIRC, 60 Seconds also covered that flight that flipped ass over end on the runway and then split in half. Usually, the back part of the plane is safest but in that instance, the back part caught on fire.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:29 PM (piMMO)

412

Is the begining of LIB? Too much going on in such a short time.

Posted by: Infidel at April 17, 2013 09:29 PM (gqEUi)

413 Most of these airplane stories happend before TSA started stickin their finger up my ass and making my 11 month old take off his shoes yep no shit, made my kid who just started walking take off his shoes I eyeballed Johnny Fucko and said "really" Then looked at Mrs. Jake and decided I could take Johnny Fucko, but the wife would kick my ass

Posted by: Jake in Idaho at April 17, 2013 09:30 PM (zzeVM)

414 On November 12, 2001 when American Airlines flight 587 crashed just after takeoff from JFK over Rockaway Beach in Queens NY? Freaked everyone out that it was another terrorist attack being only 2 months after 9/11.

Investigators blamed pilot error from overcorrecting wake turbulence and it snapped the tail off the Airbus 300

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines_Flight_587

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 09:30 PM (mCvL4)

415 I was thinking the Canary Island thingee.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:31 PM (cipri)

416 There's a Concorde on display at the Air and Space Museum by the Dulles airport. Having looked at it, it isn't that big.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 09:31 PM (kRPdA)

417 that Everglades crash happened in '72? I thought it was more like 1988.

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:32 PM (0nyYS)

418 Didn't the Concorde surrender a few years back?

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:32 PM (cipri)

419 kbdabear, was it the Airbus 330s that tended to lose their tails because the composite material they were made of failed? Delamination IIRC

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:33 PM (OCvUs)

420 This was a great show http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seconds_From_Disaster

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:33 PM (piMMO)

421 So anyone know whats the latest in West Texas?

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:33 PM (OCvUs)

422 that Everglades crash happened in '72? I thought it was more like 1988. *** there might have been two because the Value-Jet crash was later.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:34 PM (piMMO)

423 There's a Concorde on display at the Air and Space Museum by the Dulles airport. Having looked at it, it isn't that big.

What's neat is that you can directly compare it to the Space Shuttle Discovery that they have there. Damn those were big spacecraft

Posted by: dudenolongerinsantacruz at April 17, 2013 09:34 PM (ZCu9v)

424 The ValuJet Everglades crash was in 1996. The Air Florida crash in DC was in January, 1982.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 09:34 PM (kRPdA)

425 Didn't Amtrak wind up in the swamp a few times?

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:35 PM (cipri)

426 Is it true that airliners could go a lot faster but the FAA did not permit to break the sound barrier because of the noise pollution?

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:35 PM (NNTrd)

427 ...I need to rethink 'distance from X.'. I thought he had room to spare, obviously not. I'm with RWC on this one. I also heard the dad saying "it should collapse" - he obviously wouldn't endanger his child intentionally. I'm not really one to pray, but I think that will have to change after this week.

Posted by: shredded chi at April 17, 2013 09:35 PM (7FgN5)

428 For all the sneering of Northeasterners about the rest of the country, Texas knows how to handle disasters like this. They're in the heart of Tornado Alley and have plenty of familiarity with hurricanes

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 09:35 PM (mCvL4)

429 It's been one helluva week. Goodnight all.

Posted by: GnuBreed at April 17, 2013 09:36 PM (ccXZP)

430 What's neat is that you can directly compare it to the Space Shuttle Discovery that they have there. Damn those were big spacecraft Posted by: dudenolongerinsantacruz at April 18, 2013 01:34 AM (ZCu9v) Granted, I saw Enterprise, but it looked to me like a big Lego.

Posted by: I lurk, therefore I am (new nic eventually) at April 17, 2013 09:36 PM (kRPdA)

431 Didn't Amtrak wind up in the swamp a few times?

Posted by: Knave

I believe Amtrak does go to DC, so yes.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at April 17, 2013 09:37 PM (5Hl3g)

432 I thought the it should collapse was instructions for the kid to adjust something in the truck. Visor seat or whatever.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:37 PM (cipri)

433 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ValuJet_Flight_592

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:37 PM (piMMO)

434 Knave, Sunset Limited. Mobile, AL.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:37 PM (OCvUs)

435 Jesus. Just incredible. I know there's a bit of ambulance chasing involved in watching these events but the force of nature is simply fascinating. Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 18, 2013 12:21 AM (piMMO) The Halifax explosion was a cargo vessel loaded with artillery shells on their way to France for the First World War. And if you read the full account of the events, it was pretty much a cluster-fuck.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 17, 2013 09:38 PM (29+x5)

436 Investigators blamed pilot error from overcorrecting wake turbulence and it snapped the tail off the Airbus 300 I'm sadly not privy to anything except what I read on Internet forums, but there was apparently really bad blood about Airbus on AA's side about that incident. I guess they eventually kissed and made up, since AA ordered a Franco-Tuetonic fuckton of A320/NEOs in 2011.

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 17, 2013 09:38 PM (lFk6F)

437 there might have been two because the Value-Jet crash was later. Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 18, 2013 01:34 AM

Valu-Jet Everglades crash was in May 11 1996

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 09:39 PM (mCvL4)

438

Some fucking douchebag professor is already politicizing this
tragedy.

http://tinyurl.com/d8svfhv

Posted by: YIKES! at April 17, 2013 09:39 PM (mETGQ)

439 On April 16 1947 in Texas City, Tx the most deadly industrial accident in U.S. history occured when a fire detonated approximately 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate and the resulting chain reaction of fires and explosions killed at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department. Source: Wikipedia. Yeah, April has always been a bitch. April 19th in particular. (look it up) Conspiracy? I would have to see a lot more evidence to consider that. Shit happens in April. Ask the Brits about that Lexington and Concord thing.

Posted by: John D at April 17, 2013 09:40 PM (UgYXo)

440 Evil never sleeps.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:40 PM (cipri)

441 Didn't Amtrak wind up in the swamp a few times? *** In 1993 a barge struck a swing-bridge in the swamps of Alabama and pushed the track out of alignment. An Amtrak train hit it and drove off the bridge with such force that it buried completely a couple of cars in the mud. My job at that time was to position all the equipment necessary to do the recovery and the repair of the tracks. It was a task getting folks into the swamps where there were no roads.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:41 PM (piMMO)

442 I remember something about a train wreck where several people were eaten by alligators.

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:43 PM (cipri)

443 TWA Flight 800 crashed July 17, 1996. A lot of people still aren't convinced that the plane blew up because of a short in the center tank

Egypt Air 990 always made me wonder though. The pilot went apeshit and fought the copilot over the controls. I wonder if he was intending to fly it back into the WTC

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 09:43 PM (mCvL4)

444 Is it true that airliners could go a lot faster but the FAA did not permit to break the sound barrier because of the noise pollution?

Current designs can't break the sound barrier (even in a dive they have difficulty), as the aerodynamics of subsonic and super sonic flight are very different. Supersonic jets also consume more fuel than subsonic jets (not sure if always true or just generally). But yes, sonic boom issue is generally the first issue.

Posted by: dudenolongerinsantacruz at April 17, 2013 09:45 PM (ZCu9v)

445 Fewer folks know abut this flight: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FedEx_Flight_705

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:45 PM (piMMO)

446 9 Lost, 23 Injured as Jet's Skin Rips Over Pacific By ROBERT REINHOLD, Special to the New York Times February 25, 1989 Part of the outer fuselage of a United Airlines jumbo jet ripped away shortly after takeoff early this morning, sucking out passengers to the darkness of the Pacific Ocean below. ... The plane, a Boeing 747, took off with 336 passengers and a crew of 18 bound for Auckland, New Zealand. After the mishap ripped a gaping hole in the forward starboard side and disabled two of the four engines, the pilots managed to return to Honolulu International Airport and make what passengers termed a smooth emergency landing. Many of the passengers alighted shaken and bloodied but grateful to have survived. ''All of a sudden the people sitting next to us just disappeared,'' said Paul Holtz, of Sydney, Australia. ''Inside the cabin there were pieces of debris flying all over.'' Several rows of seats in the business class section of the passenger cabin were ripped out and a cargo door was missing. Federal officials said the initial evidence suggested that a mechanical or structural failure of the door led to the rupturing of a section of the jetliner's skin. ... The jet, a 19-year-old 747-100, returned with a hole about 12 by 25 feet near the right forward cargo hold. The gap extended nearly the entire height of the fuselage up to what apparently was a seam of rivets near windows in the first-class cabin. Officials here said the damage was not as extensive as the damage suffered April 28, 1988, when part of the fuselage of an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 peeled off in flight from Hilo to Honolulu. That incident, in which one flight attendant was swept out of the plane to her death,...

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:45 PM (OZ9Xn)

447 445 I would have been fine in the cheap seats.

Posted by: steevy at April 17, 2013 09:47 PM (9XBK2)

448 April 18th, 1943. A squadron of P-38 Lightnings take off from Henderson Field Guadalcanal. They fly at wave top level to avoid Japanese radar. They have an appointment with destiny. They arrive south of Rabual and look for their pray.

Time ticks by. The pilots look at their fuel gauges. Then they spot their targets. Two G4M bombers, Allied code name Betty. Aboard one is the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack - Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Aboard the other Betty is his Chief of Staff Ugaki. They are protected by A6M Zero fighters.

The Lightnings attack. Their mission today is get Yamamoto. In the swirling dog fight that follows both Betty bombers are shot down along with many of the escorting Zero fighters. Yamamoto dies and his ashes would be enshrined in Tokyo so he could become a protective spirit. Ugaki would survive the crash.

All this was possible because the Japanese had been sloppy again with safeguard JN-25 their Naval Code. Cmdr Rochefort in Hypo in Hawai'i had deduced that Yamamoto would be doing a visit of the forward bases. And was able to figure out his time table almost to the minute.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:49 PM (OCvUs)

449 ndh, is that the flight with Tom Hanks?

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:50 PM (+7i2c)

450 If I see a fertilizer plant on fire,I ain't staying around to watch.

Posted by: steevy at April 17, 2013 09:50 PM (9XBK2)

451 That FedEx flight needs to be made into a movie...amazing story... As for egyptAir, never sat right with me either. The pilots last words were "allahu Akbar". They blamed it on a breakup with a member of the flight crew IIRC but I'm pretty sure most concede it was a murder suicide, but Egypt bogarted the investigation or something

Posted by: BSR at April 17, 2013 09:50 PM (H0Rot)

452 We were talking about plane crashes about a month ago and someone told me to buy "Hit Parade of Flying Stories", which I did. It arrived a couple of days ago but I haven't read it yet.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:50 PM (piMMO)

453 ndh, is that the flight with Tom Hanks? *** hehehehehe

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:51 PM (piMMO)

454 Evil never sleeps.

Posted by: Knave at April 18, 2013 01:40 AM (cipri)

You try sleeping with no eyelid.

Posted by: Sauron at April 17, 2013 09:54 PM (hO9ad)

455 Are you talking about the Memphis FedEx where a guy got aboard to 'deadhead' but he carried weapons. Had breakup and wanted his kids to get his insurance as if he was in a crash... so tried to kill the crew. But the crew, though grievously wounded, fought back and landed the plane.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:54 PM (OCvUs)

456 Jose Canseco ‏@JoseCanseco 10m for you night owls here is my first podcast http://t.co/semywqqXlr

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:54 PM (piMMO)

457 Are those Van Allen Belt thingees deadly?

Posted by: Knave at April 17, 2013 09:56 PM (cipri)

458 454: Yep that's the one. Incredible story.

Posted by: BSR at April 17, 2013 09:56 PM (H0Rot)

459 Are you talking about the Memphis FedEx where a guy got aboard to 'deadhead' but he carried weapons. Had breakup and wanted his kids to get his insurance as if he was in a crash... so tried to kill the crew. But the crew, though grievously wounded, fought back and landed the plane. *** He had been facing dismissal but, otherwise, yes.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 09:56 PM (piMMO)

460 Tornado warnings for Tulsa OK area

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 09:57 PM (mCvL4)

461 Thought so. That was one really sick and twisted dude.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 17, 2013 09:57 PM (OCvUs)

462 damn ONT pushed up again like a bad penny, it is

Posted by: soothsayer at April 17, 2013 09:57 PM (GcwH1)

463 So,what Tea Partier right wing whacko started this fertilizer plant fire?
Your intrepid MFM

Posted by: steevy at April 17, 2013 09:59 PM (9XBK2)

464 There are also tornado watches in north and central TX

Posted by: kbdabear at April 17, 2013 10:00 PM (mCvL4)

465 Wall Street Journal ‏@WSJ 59s Breaking: Pakistan court has ordered arrest of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf http://wsj.com

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 10:03 PM (piMMO)

466 Pakistan court has ordered arrest of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf

Didn't they just ban him from running for office a couple days ago?

Posted by: Methos at April 17, 2013 10:03 PM (hO9ad)

467 464 Musharraf wasn't great but he was better than what came after.We never learn.

Posted by: steevy at April 17, 2013 10:04 PM (9XBK2)

468 Port Chicago California,that was a huge munition explosion during WW 2.They later found out that the Officers organized races between the black loading parties.Good for morale maybe but bad when handling sensitive ordnance.Stuff used today is much safer generally.

Posted by: steevy at April 17, 2013 10:07 PM (9XBK2)

469 Didn't they just ban him from running for office a couple days ago? *** Yep

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 17, 2013 10:07 PM (piMMO)

470 TWA 800 was pretty bizarre. Given the hyperventilating over the 787 battery issues, you have to wonder if in the existing 'atmosphere', compared to 1996, public pressure would've allowed 747s to continue to fly. On the one hand, 747s had been flying for decades without seeing this issue. On the other hand, no one has died aboard a 787, yet it's been grounded. On the gripping hand ... how dare you force me to make a decision.

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 17, 2013 10:14 PM (lFk6F)

471 Random Q for older morons: Is this what the really shitty "malaise" years of the early 1970s felt like? It is like the 70s but worse. The 70s were moving right along and people seemed to be learning from the various disasters to some extent--and Nixon, Ford, and Carter were each exited from office in short order.

Posted by: Emily at April 17, 2013 10:23 PM (q0xB2)

472 470 Agree , it's Much worse Now than the 70's ..... God Have Mercy On Us !!!!!

Posted by: extremely grumpy momma bear at April 17, 2013 10:38 PM (mRuxb)

473 I was 12 in 1980. I'm not going to say that I knew much about politics except that Carter was a peanut farmer with big teeth and a goofy accent. My old man was a big-city, old-time Dem but he was a huge Reagan fan. I remember the vague feelings of despair as the family slogged through the end of the decade. But there was some light at the end of the tunnel in Reagan. I'm normally optimistic, but ever since last November I've been a cynical man, hanging on in quiet desperation, watching the SCOAMF destroy the country and worse, being cheered on by many of my friends/acquaintances. I am not hopeful at all, I see no Reagans coming to save us, the damage is far too deep.

Posted by: Damn Sockpuppet at April 17, 2013 10:45 PM (yJYwC)

474

Posted by: Damn Sockpuppet at April 18, 2013 02:45 AM (yJYwC)

Jesus is still our Hope no matter who occupies the WH. Today O actually had one of his pet projects defeated and with that defeat came proof that he has no political capitol -- I guess that's what happens when one fakes election results. Keep praying, our country needs it.

Posted by: Aslan's Girl at April 18, 2013 12:51 AM (KL49F)

475 "329 Several DC-10s had suffered a sudden decompression of the cargo area that caused the cabin floors to collapse. Thus cutting flight controls. That was bad. And very fatal.

Then the Chicago crash happened because the airline used a forklift to lift one of the wing engines into place. That put odd stresses on at least one of the three bolts that held the engine and pylon to the wing. So the engine fell off and the plane fell out of the sky at take off.

And finally there was the incident where the tail engine suffered a fractured turbine blade. Engine grenaded and took out all the hydraulic lines. Which left the pilots with throttles and that was about it. Still managed to land the plane only for it cartwheel. Still a lot of people walked away.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 18, 2013 12:56 AM (OCvUs)"

There was also the issue that the bolt that failed had been made in Taiwan by somebody who figured out that you could charge a lot more for ordinary steel bolts if you put those tick marks on the bolt head that are supposed to indicate that they are rated to be much stronger than ordinary bolts. The urge to screw over customers and place people's lives in danger in order to make a few extra bucks seems to be deeply embedded in the Chinese culture.

Posted by: Obnoxious A-hole at April 18, 2013 10:48 AM (31Nrp)

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