On this day May 26, 1981, a tragic accident occurred aboard the USS Nimitz when a Prowler aircraft crashed into the flight deck during night operations off the coast of Florida. The crash caused a massive fire and explosion as the impact triggered the detonation of several bombs and fuel tanks on the deck.
The disaster resulted in the deaths of 14 Navy crewmen and left 45 others injured. The incident shocked the nation and led to an investigation that revealed the contributing factor was the presence of drugs in the systems of several crew members, prompting the U.S. Navy to launch a strict new zero tolerance drug policy.
Fun fact: This incident was a major turning point in military policy, directly leading to the Department of Defense implementing widespread drug testing across all branches of the armed forces.
The disaster resulted in the deaths of 14 Navy crewmen and left 45 others injured. The incident shocked the nation and led to an investigation that revealed the contributing factor was the presence of drugs in the systems of several crew members, prompting the U.S. Navy to launch a strict new zero tolerance drug policy.
Fun fact: This incident was a major turning point in military policy, directly leading to the Department of Defense implementing widespread drug testing across all branches of the armed forces.
