r/engineering • u/Soreknees38529 • 3d ago
[MECHANICAL] K-141 Kursk Sinking
This story has been reposted every few years on CatastropicFailure but doesn’t hurt to share here. The nuclear submarine K-141 Kursk exploded during a naval exercise in the Barents Sea, sinking in 107 meters of water. All 118 crew died.
A practice torpedo powered by high-test peroxide (HTP), a concentrated hydrogen peroxide oxidizer most Western navies abandoned as too dangerous, leaked through a faulty weld. At 11:28 local time, the catalytic reaction detonated the torpedo tube (~100-250 kg TNT equivalent), killing the forward crew and starting a fire. 135 seconds later, the remaining warheads cooked off simultaneously with 3-7 tons TNT equivalent, obliterating the bow.
At least 23 sailors survived in the aft compartments for hours, using chemical oxygen cartridges. Captain-Lieutenant Kolesnikov's recovered note read: *"It's dark here to write, but I'll try by feel. It seems like there are no chances, 10-20%. Let's hope that at least someone will read this."*
*Root causes:*
- *HTP torpedoes* — known unstable. Britain abandoned them after HMS *Sidon* exploded in 1955. Russia kept them because they were cheap and already in inventory.
- *Maintenance culture* — the failed torpedo had been in service since 1990, flagged for propellant leaks, and returned to service anyway. The 133-volume investigation described "stunning breaches of discipline, shoddy, obsolete and poorly maintained equipment."
- *Rescue decay* — Russia's submarine rescue infrastructure was non-functional post-Soviet collapse.
- *Pride over lives* — delayed acceptance of foreign help while sailors were still alive on the seabed.
Photos and additional detail here. https://www.eugeneleeslover.com/ENGINEERING/Russian_Kursk_Sub.php
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u/overcoil 3d ago
I remember this. Pre 9/11 I think this and the Concorde crash were the most engaging disasters I saw on the news.
I also remember that Putin stayed on holiday and a mother at Murmansk (I think?) was ranting at a Minister about their inactivity only to be carted off after being injected with something.