WHY WORKING ON THE DECK OF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS JOBS ON EARTH?

 Have you ever noticed people wearing dissimilar clothing color performing different tasks at an aircraft carrier flight deck? their tasks might range from signaling and fueling airplanes, to managing catapults and wires. All crew members work hard to ensure the success of each aircraft’s landing and taking off. Though it seems like a normal daily task anybody has, working at the aircraft carrier is known to be one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. The minefield of severe accidents and mishaps, rigorous training must be undergone by the deck crews in order to equip themselves to work in such hazardous environment. But then, have you ever wondered how dangerous it is it to work at the aircraft carrier deck?

Perhaps the busiest deck in the world, the flight deck of an aircraft carrier has been widely known as the world's most dangerous workplace. Aircrafts take off, land, and taxi in the limited space of the flight deck, while ordinance ceaselessly moved around. All sort of movements carried 24 hours a day, every day, in all kinds of weather and seasons. To know their way around and get the job done without getting hurt or killed, carrier flight deck crews must be professionals who keep their heads swiveled at all times, keeping eyes out for moving aircrafts, engines, and other vehicles on the flight deck. On an aircraft carrier flight deck, death and injury can occur in a variety of ways. Crew members on the flight deck have the potential to tumble overboard (either blown off by engine exhaust or simply fall off), be pulled into engine intakes, collide with aircraft or other vehicles, get impacted by propellers and rotors, or become entangled in aircraft moving parts. Another threat is fire and explosions, as explosives can ignite or overheat and explode, and fire is a serious worry. The following are 3 notable cases of accident on board of an aircraft carrier’s deck.

The first one happened in 1991. Petty Officer J.D. Bridges was a sailor onboard an aircraft carrier. He was evaluating the hook-up of an A6 Intruder to one of the carrier's catapults

while training a replacement. He was sucked into the Intruder's jet intake as he moved to the front of the plane. Bridges was fortunate in that he was trapped in the intake before being sucked toward the engine's rapidly rotating blades, and the pilots were able to immediately turn off the engine.

Second, the tragedy happened in 1967 when a major fire breakout occurred at USS Forestall after an F-4 Phantom misfired a Zuni rocket. Metals used in weapons, such as magnesium and phosphorus, can combust, resulting in Delta-class fires. These metals burn at tens of thousands of degrees and are extremely difficult to extinguish. The fire on the deck

raged for hours and tragically claimed the lives of 134 crew members.The last one happened in March 2018, when a small miscalculation caused an arresting cable snapped while an aircraft was landing. Eight sailors injured heavily when attempting to recover the aircraft. Fortunately, the pilot of the E2C Hawkeye managed to prevent the aircraft from plunging into ocean by mere seconds.

Due to the major concern over different types of accidents, carrier flight deck crews also equipped by different simulations and drills to develop a quick and efficient response when an incident occurs. Despite being the most hazardous working environment, a career at carrier flight deck proved to be challenging and incite tremendous bravery

for its crew.