lb) for the lift and 180-degree swing, but the 

 stop-rotate motion of the crane was enough 

 to open the hook and drop the vehicle. The 

 crew was shaken up and some vehicle dam- 

 age was sustained. 



Submersible: DEEPSTAR 2000 Date: NA 



Reference (1) 



Incident: During a rough water launch, 

 DEEPSTAR 2000 unexpectedly dropped a 

 battery which forms part of the vehicle's 

 safety system and can be dropped using a 

 manual cable release. The cable runs from a 

 manual crank on the pressure hull through 

 the exostructure to the battery box. Flexing 

 of the exostructure during the launch was 

 sufficient to trip the release mechanism and 

 drop the battery. The exostructure was sub- 

 sequently stiffened in those areas where in- 

 teraction with the battery drop cable was 

 significant. 



Submersible: BEAVER Date: Summer 



1973 Reference (16) 



Incident: Prior to demonstrating their 

 ability to launch/retrieve the submersible 

 BEAVER, a perspective contractor to the 

 vehicle's owner. International Underwater 

 Contractors, made modifications to the lift 

 system which included fairleading a cable 

 through a shackle welded to the deck of the 

 ship. With BEAVER attached to the lift de- 

 vice, a strain was taken on the fairleaded 

 cable which proved too much for the shackle 

 weld. The shackle broke loose and fatally 

 struck an observer in the chest. 



Operational Incidents 



Submersible: BEN FRANKLIN Date: April 



1970 Reference (1) 



Incident: BEN FRANKLIN was moored 



astern of its anchored support ship when a 

 sudden storm came up. The combined drag of 

 the support ship and BEN FRANKLIN 

 caused a failure in the anchor system and 

 both vessels were forced onto a reef. The 

 submersible, having minimal surface propul- 



sion capability, was damaged in the keel and 

 battery pod areas. The support ship was 

 finally able to maneuver itself and BEN 

 FRANKLIN clear of the reef. 



Submersible: BEAVER Date: March 1969 



Reference (1) 



Incident: BEAVER was being launched 

 for operations from a marine railway on Cat- 

 alina Island, California. The weather at this 

 time was described as "rough" and when the 

 vehicle reached the point of becoming buoy- 

 ant the waves caused it to pound on the 

 runway and inflict damage to the submers- 

 ible. 



Submersible: NEKTON BETA Date: 21 

 September 1970 Reference (1) 



Incident: NEKTON BETA and its sister 



submersible NEKTON ALPHA attached lift 

 lines from a barge to a sunken cabin cruiser 

 at 230-foot depth some 500 yards off Santa 

 Catalina Island, California. The ALPHA sub- 

 mersible surfaced, but BETA elected to re- 

 main submerged during the lift. At about 50 

 feet off the bottom the lift lines parted and 

 the cruiser fell through the water. In doing 

 so it struck BETA and broke a section out of 

 a conning tower viewport. BETA flooded and 

 sank to the bottom where pilot R. A. Slater 

 was able to exit the vehicle and ascend to the 

 surface. The observer, L. A. Headlee, per- 

 ished. 



Submersible: GUPPY Date: NA Reference 



(1) 



Incident: While operating in the Santa 

 Barbara Channel, GUPPY had been re- 

 covered in a normal fashion. The sea was 

 calm and the crew exited the vehicle. The 

 hatch was open and the hoisting winch cable 

 was still loosely attached. A sudden sea swell 

 caused the support ship to roll unexpectedly 

 and GUPPY slid along the deck until stopped 

 by the winch cable. If the cable had not been 

 attached, the vehicle would have probably 

 gone over the side with its hatch open. 



694 



