Safety Review of M109A3 Howitzer Accident

Abstract

In October 1995, a fire occurred in an M109A3 howitzer while the crew was conducting live fire training. The fire consumed the full combat load of propelling charges onboard the vehicle. One injury (a broken nose) was sustained as the crew exited the vehicle. A Board of Investigation (BOI) consisting of members from the U.S. Army Safety Center (USASC) and U.S. Army Technical Center for Explosives Safety (USATCES) was convened to determine the most probable cause and any necessary corrective actions. Crew error was determined to be the cause of the incident. This paper will summarize the event, the resulting damage, and lessons learned from the incident.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADA498757

Entities

People

  • Lyn Little

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accidents
  • Ammunition
  • Explosions
  • Explosives
  • Fires
  • Hazards
  • High Explosives
  • Howitzers
  • Lessons Learned
  • Munitions
  • Projectiles
  • Propelling Charges
  • Rotating Bands
  • Test Management
  • Training
  • Training Devices

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Aviation Safety Risk Assessment.
  • Marksmanship and Weaponry.
  • ballistics.