DUKW Crash Fatalities

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Sounds like "lawsuit" time for the builder !

A tragedy; and it's bound to get messy. Now with the determination official, this is probably just getting started.

It would be my estimation that the LAW SUIT paperwork started on the day of the accident with the passing of a single attorney's business card into the hand of a single surviving next of kin.

Since then it's just been a continuing gathering of evidence.

This most recent piece - the official ruling - sounds so much like the last nail being driven into the coffin that I'd be hard pressed to answer, "Is it real, or is it MEMOREX?"

 

[Another Ahab]

I heard that various personal injury attorneys were very interested in the case.

I found this picture of them lining up to get more information about it all:

 

[saddamsnightmare]

January 1st, 2016>


Seems like "Manufacturing Failure" occurs when not all aspects of an alteration are stress tested out in the lab before they are applied to the vehicle. I believe that the folks that chop deuces and such are letting themselves into similar suits as they become the "manufacturer", or more correctly, the "remanufacturer" of the resultant altered vehicle. The altered vehicle in no way obtains coverage from the grandfather clause in to original manufacturer's contract with the government, as major assemblies are altered or substituted. This is where one gets to hear the vacuum packed No. 10 can of tort lawyers opens up..... One hopes that their insurance was up to snuff.....

Again, the loads on the front axles, as with any 6X6 approach the design limits in a stock form, when one alters the weight distribution by increasing loads, stretching or bobbing the truck, that will have impacts also in the final design's safety and reliability. I would also note from what has been said up above about water ingestion in the nose air intakes for the engine, might be time to "cyclone" them and raise them up considerably as they seem to be both cooling and combustion (intake) air sources. It would seem that they have been indited in capsize and sinking events before this time....

 

[Another Ahab]

The Wikipedia article about them notes the original design limitation on the vehicle, so maybe they're being pressed beyond their limits from the get-go:


- "Excelling at approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious warfare attacks, it was intended only to last long enough to meet the demands of combat."



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW

 

[BnaditCorps]

The Wikipedia article about them notes the original design limitation on the vehicle, so maybe they're being pressed beyond their limits from the get-go:


- "Excelling at approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious warfare attacks, it was intended only to last long enough to meet the demands of combat."



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW

That leads to a very good point for all MV's. They were designed to meet the requirements of a soldier in a combat zone with bullets flying overhead and mines laying underfoot. They are not designed for everything we may do, or want to do, with them, and we must keep our vehicle's limitations in mind before, during, and after an excursion.

 

[Another Ahab]

Just read the whole Wikipedia article, and caught where the DUKW is the first vehicle on record to ever use a CTIS system allowing the wheels to be automatically inflated or deflated (like for running on soft beach sand); very cool!

 

[frank8003]

DUKW BUS Aurora Bridge, actually the George Washington bridge; 09242015
The probable cause published 11152016. It is at page 54 in NTSB/HAR-16/02
That is 72 page PDF.
Instead of posting it in SS just goto and search.
Just google it NTSB/HAR-16/02

 

[swbradley1]

That was an interesting read.

Sad about the loss of life from something could have been easily prevented.

I like that they used finite element modeling to determine Von Mises stresses on the axle. I used to work for a computer company and one of my system did finite element modeling for Walther Corp in Dayton and I can remember them modeling the front axles for the Ford Bronco before they actually made any castings.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

DUKW BUS Aurora Bridge, actually the George Washington bridge; 09242015
The probable cause published 11152016. It is at page 54 in NTSB/HAR-16/02
That is 72 page PDF.
Instead of posting it in SS just goto and search.
Just google it NTSB/HAR-16/02

Thanks for posting that up.

Here's a direct link to the PDF File:


https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HAR1602.pdf

Therein, GO TO Page 72 of the PDF File.


- OR -

Here's a quote of the "meat" of the whole document.....
*****
3.2 Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the Seattle, Washington, crash was the mechanical failure, due to improper manufacturing by Ride the Ducks International (vehicle manufacturer) and inadequate maintenance by Ride the Ducks of Seattle (operator), of the left front axle housing of the stretch amphibious passenger vehicle (APV) DUCK 6, which resulted in loss of vehicle control. Contributing to the severity of the motorcoach occupant injuries was the APV’s structural incompatibility with the motorcoach, causing intrusion into the motorcoach sidewall, windows, and interior passenger compartment. Contributing to the severity of the APV passenger injuries were the lack of occupant crash protections and the high impact forces.
*****

 

[swbradley1]

Structural incompatibility? Yeah, it went through it like crap through a goose.

 

[SCSG-G4]

Structural incompatibility? Yeah, it went through it like crap through a goose.

Steel vs aluminum & glass. Steel 'wins' just about every time.

 

[snowtrac nome]

Steel vs aluminum & glass. Steel 'wins' just about every time.

Not necessarily, chevy truck featured in the commercial's, vs m 113 guess who wins.

 

[NDT]

Can anyone tell if the axle pictured in the report is a G749 (M211) or G508 (CCKW)? I think it's 749. Something for all of us to check in our 6x6's.

 

[m1010plowboy]

GMC Axle

Here is the report with axle pictures and axle damage on pages 23 and 24. It's with great respect for the families that suffered a loss of life or injury in this incident that we open the dialogue and discuss prevention. Our comments should reflect the seriousness and sadness of this event.

https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HAR1602.pdf

The boot assembly appears different. """Which allows G749 operators a better inspection point of the failed component""".

Are we talking about a decade of time between the DUKW axle and the G749 axle.....built after 1950?

 

[QUADJEEPER]

Very interesting read. Thanks.

 

[jimk]

Thanks for posting that up... <cut>
Here's a quote of the "meat" of the whole document...

Interesting report. Thanks for posting that. I would summarize it differently (bottom).

Apparently, the re-manufacturer uses original 194x DUKW front axles (correct me if I am wrong) That's a 70y old part/ design. They also stretched the frame for more passenger capacity (increasing the load on the axle). Their customers drive them hard and experience a series of knuckle failures... The manufacturer is made aware and recommends immediate reinforcement (either a bottom tab gusset or a top and bottom half pipe gussets)... This was not always passed on or acted upon. The accident vehicle was 'patched' with a poorly welded tab gusset (bottom of the knuckle).

-I assume the axle was not removed for welding the tab. If so that's a rather tricky overhead weld (a curved surface too). That weld is in tension and not compression (weaker) making the quality of the weld important.

In my opinion the primary causes- weak 70y old axle design, not suitable for the task, knowing they are a problem, and having a bad welder fix it.
Another unrelated DUKW accident w/13 fatalities. Miss Majestic, Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The NTSB report. 2MB.pdf

 

[loosescrews]

Mod Note:

Post consolidated to appropriate thread.

 

[eric67camino]

Mod Note:

Post consolidated to appropriate thread.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

The event 7/19/2018 at Branson, MO has a dedicated thread.

It can be found using this link:

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?180348-FATAL-DUKW-SINKING-7-19-2018-Branson-MO

 

[frank8003]

DUKW
​Preliminary Report: Marine DCA18MM028
NTSB DCA18MM028