I was taking a smoke break on top of Pad 39A. The Saturn 5 (the Bird) was sitting on the Pad , not fueled..

The Crawler was coming up the incline with the Mobile Service Structure (MSS) sitting on top . The MSS is a hugh stucture . When it reach the correction point they set the MSS down. At this time workers started to connect the utilities lines to the MSS ( electric, water and sewage lines ) .

I was sitting there watching a worker remove a cast iron cap from a 8 inch water line , the cap that weight about 12 pounds . The cap was secured to the line with a quick release strap. I believe that if it had been a threaded cap this tragedy would not have happened.This is the offical report of the incident.

1968-05-16 William B. Estes Mechainic Bendix Corporation Died at LC-39 Pad A, in preparation for the Mobile Service Structure arrival. A faulty gauge indicated it was safe to remove a pipe cap from the pad 150 psi water supply line. The pressure released the iron cap when he started disconnecting it and it struck his chest

The report does not mention that 6 inches below the cap that killed Mr. Estes was a water valve just like the one you connect your garden hose to at home. If he would have opened the water valve he would have seen the line was not static.

Mr. Estes was bent over the cap when he released the strap holding the cap on the pipe (it's called a stub up ) the cap hit him in the chest sending him about 8 feet in the air and fell back dead.

8 inch water line with a 12 pound cast iron cap and 150 PSI being released all at once was a tremendous force.

If he would have opened the water valve this death would not have happened. There are written procedures for any operations of this type and I'm sure it would have been one of the steps in the procedure to open the water valve.

Consequently as a wittness to this tragedy, I was interviewed and gave my statement.

Such a simple mistake like turning on a water valve resulted in the death of a good man. .

This is a true story !

Jack B.