UTC explosion near RHV

Hi,

I know Cecil asked if anyone had a PIREP about the explosion a few days ago
while chemicals were being mixed. Well, I flew over UTC today and this is
what I saw. There are a bunch of buildings pretty close to each other. The
building that was demolished was a couple hundred yards from the main
cluster towards the ESE. To the SE of the building, there is a big black
patch - perhaps the grass caught on fire as a result of the explosion. As
far as the building is concerned, there isn't any building left. It looks
like the wireframe remnants of a building and in a 40-yard (?) circle around
the building are the 'lego blocks'. That must have been a heck of a blast
and amazingly no-one was seriously injured.

Hilton

I had a friend working in a chemical plant. He had a pot of chemicals
go unstable and everyone evacuated. Blew the 10 foot diameter steel
lid through the roof of the building. Apparently happens more often
than we know.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.


"Cecil E. Chapman" wrote in message
. ..
Thanks for the info! I think that the staff leaves when the mixing
process
is started for the solid propellant. Sounds like the building did
exactly
what it was designed to do, which is vector the blast mostly upwards
before
blowing horizontally.

--
--
Good Flights!

Cecil E. Chapman, Jr.
PP-ASEL

"We who fly do so for the love of flying.
We are alive in the air with this miracle
that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"

- Cecil Day Lewis-

My personal adventures as a student pilot
and after my PPL: www.bayareapilot.com
"Hilton" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I know Cecil asked if anyone had a PIREP about the explosion a few
days
ago
while chemicals were being mixed. Well, I flew over UTC today and
this is
what I saw. There are a bunch of buildings pretty close to each
other.
The
building that was demolished was a couple hundred yards from the
main
cluster towards the ESE. To the SE of the building, there is a
big black
patch - perhaps the grass caught on fire as a result of the
explosion. As
far as the building is concerned, there isn't any building left.
It looks
like the wireframe remnants of a building and in a 40-yard (?)
circle
around
the building are the 'lego blocks'. That must have been a heck of
a blast
and amazingly no-one was seriously injured.

Hilton