Editing Titan (rocket family) (section)

====Accidents at silos====
There were several accidents in Titan II silos resulting in loss of life and/or serious injuries.

In August 1965, 53 construction workers were killed in fire in a missile silo northwest of [[Searcy, Arkansas]]. The fire started when hydraulic fluid used in the Titan II was ignited by a welding torch.<ref>{{cite news|
url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hYIKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h0sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3877%2C1878649 |
agency = Associated Press |
newspaper = Ellensburg Daily Record |
title = Escape Route Blocked in Silo Disaster |
date = August 13, 1965 |
page = 1 |
access-date = 2011-01-03
}}</ref><ref name=bissmhtf>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fZckAAAAIBAJ&sjid=raQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3916%2C4715863 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |title=Blast is second serious mishap in 17-year-old U.S. Titan fleet |date=September 20, 1980 |page=2 }}</ref>

The liquid fuel missiles were prone to developing leaks of their toxic propellants. At a silo outside [[Rock, Kansas]], an oxidizer transfer line carrying NTO ruptured on August 24, 1978.<ref>{{cite news|
url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r-kLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NloDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5707%2C1305223 |
agency = UPI |
newspaper = St. Petersburg Times |
title = 1 killed, 6 injured when fuel line breaks at Kansas Titan missile site |
date = August 25, 1978 |
page = 4 |
access-date = 2009-10-18
}}</ref> An ensuing orange vapor cloud forced 200 rural residents to evacuate the area.<ref>{{cite news|
url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lsUSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CfsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5959%2C7675769 |
agency = Associated Press |
newspaper = The Ledger |
title = Thunderhead Of Lethal Vapor Kills Airman At Missile Silo |
date = August 25, 1978 |
page = 7 |
access-date = 2009-10-18
}}</ref> A staff sergeant of the maintenance crew was killed while attempting a rescue and a total of twenty were hospitalized.<ref name=amnatsres>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FIsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oeYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6774%2C4610225 |newspaper=Lawrence Journal-World |agency=Associated Press |title=Airman at Titan site died attempting rescue |date=August 26, 1978 |page=2 }}</ref>

Another site at [[Potwin, Kansas]] leaked NTO oxidizer in April 1980 with no fatalities,<ref name=afpllk>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MqgyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R-cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6830%2C4734085 |newspaper=Lawrence Journal-World |agency=Associated Press |title=Air Force plugs leak in Kansas missile silo |date=April 23, 1980 |page=16 }}</ref> and was later closed.

In September 1980, at Titan II silo 374-7 near [[Damascus, Arkansas]], a technician dropped an {{convert|8|lb|abbr=on}} socket that fell {{convert|70|ft|0|abbr=on}}, bounced off a thrust mount, and broke the skin of the missile's first stage,<ref name=exwrtms>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AeFLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sosDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6041%2C2966399|newspaper=Free Lance-Star |location= Fredericksburg, VA |agency=Associated Press |title=Explosion wrecks Titan missile silo |last=Colby |first=Terri |date=September 19, 1980 |page=1}}</ref> over eight hours prior to an [[1980 Damascus Titan missile explosion|eventual explosion]].<ref name=wamfmst>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8gYgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t2QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4301%2C4439202 |newspaper=Lewiston (ME) Daily Sun |agency= Associated Press |title=Warhead apparently moved from Arkansas missile site  |date=September 23, 1980 |page=10}}</ref> The puncture occurred about 6:30&nbsp;p.m.<ref name=cadvdisre>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KUcgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=354EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6731%2C5119654 |newspaper=Tuscaloosa News |title=Caution advice disregarded at Titan missile site? |agency=Washington Post |date=October 23, 1980 |page=23 }}</ref> and when a leak was detected shortly after, the silo was flooded with water and civilian authorities were advised to evacuate the area.<ref name=msbhttw >{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sUFYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QvkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6410%2C5386804 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |last=Colby |first=Terri |title=Missile silo blast hurts 22 workers |date=September 19, 1980 |page=1 }}</ref> As the problem was being attended to at around 3 a.m.,<ref name=cadvdisre/> leaking rocket fuel ignited and blew the {{convert|8000|lb|-1|abbr=on}} nuclear warhead out of the silo. It landed harmlessly several hundred feet away.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070313082220/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,952781,00.html "Light on the Road to Damascus"] ''Time'' magazine, September 29, 1980. Retrieved 2006-09-12</ref><ref name=twifliw>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a35QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fVoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6173%2C3636095 |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |agency=wire services |title=Titan warhead is reported lying in Arkansas woods |date=September 21, 1980 |page=1A }}</ref><ref name=dwhlisl>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T_JVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6eEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5975%2C5570857 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |agency=wire services |title=Did warhead leave its silo? |date=September 21, 1980 |page=1A }}</ref> There was one fatality and 21 were injured,<ref name=ttcontrvs>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=skFYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QvkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6890%2C5741844 |title=The Titan controversy |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |date=September 20, 1980 |page=2}}</ref> all from the emergency response team from [[Little Rock Air Force Base|Little Rock AFB]].<ref name=cadvdisre/><ref name=wboftbl >{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IIIfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6p4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5474%2C3917064 |newspaper=Tuscaloosa News |agency=Associated Press |title=Warhead blown off in Titan blast |page=1A |date = 21 September 1980}}</ref> The explosion blew the 740-ton launch tube cover {{convert|200|ft|-1|abbr=on}} into the air and left a [[Explosion crater|crater]] {{convert|250|ft|0}} in diameter.<ref name=arkrecma>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aaArAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bvwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6929%2C3795680 |newspaper=Nashua (NH) Telegraph |agency=Associated Press |title=Arkansas recalls missile accident |date=September 19, 1981 |page=14 }}</ref>
<!-- "This marked the beginning of the end for the Titan II as an ICBM." commented out because it was not a tech dropping a wrench that marked the beginning of the end; it was the initial introduction of the Peacekeeper as a replacement that did. -->