NAVY PRAISES DEAD SAILOR FOR ACTION IN CARRIER FIRE

A 22-year-old aviation bosun's mate died trying to save a shipmate who had been engulfed in flames after fire broke out in a jet fuel pump room aboard the aircraft carrier USS America last May, according to a Navy investigation.

Although both men died, quick reaction from the bosun's mate in alerting the ship of the fire also helped keep the blaze contained to a forward fuel pump room about six decks below the hangar deck and prevented further disaster, said a Navy spokesman.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Richard E. Childress, an aviation bosun's mate from Ham Lake, Minn., died as he attempted to help Airman Recruit Larry J. Brunson, 19, of Akron, Ohio, according to results of an informal inquiry released by the Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Wednesday.

The America was two days into what is expected to be a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean when fire broke out in jet fuel pump room No. 2 on May 13.

Childress and Brunson were assigned to the pump room to monitor and operate the fuel pumps and purifiers that supply jet fuel to the ship's aircraft, the report said.

Just before 6:45 p.m., Childress had gone to a air-conditioning and refrigeration compartment one deck above the pump room to use a ship's phone.

The pump room's No. 1 aviation fuel purifier, which cleanses JP-5 jet fuel of foreign matter, water and other impurities that can cause problems for the sensitive Navy jet aircraft, had been running in a stand-by mode between purification operations, the report said.

While Childress was gone, "Brunson apparently introduced JP-5 into the purifier bowl without first introducing water to keep the bowl temperature below JP-5 flash point," said the report summary released by the Navy.

Upon hitting the warmed purifier, the jet fuel ignited, in turn blowing off a section of fuel piping, spraying burning fuel throughout the pump room, the summary said.

Engulfed in flames, Brunson escaped to the room one deck above where Childress was using the ship's phone. Seeing the fire, Childress ended his call by notifying the watch that a "class Bravo (fuel type) fire had started in the pump room below," the summary said.

"It is in the opinion of the investigators that Childress then attempted to assist Brunson, and while doing so, both men were asphyxiated," by smoke and lack of oxygen, the summary said.

Although Brunson was found with severe burns on his body, Childress had burns primarily to his hands, said Lt. Cmdr. Mike John, a spokesman for the Naval Air Force, Atlantic Fleet.

If Childress had not notified the watch of the fire, it might have taken longer to detect since the pump room is away from the more frequented areas of the ship, John said.

The quick notification "was a significant event in keeping it isolated," John said.

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