Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 17 May 2006
- USS Oriskany was the biggest ship which was deliberately sunk in order to become the world's largest artificial reef. It was a 276-meter aircraft carrier (displacement of over 30,000 tons). It could carry up to one hundred aircraft, and there were about 2,600 crew members.
On this day in 2006, the American aircraft carrier USS Oriskany was deliberately sunk off the coast of Florida.
The carrier, which now lies at the bottom of the sea, is used for much research. It became an underwater attraction, and the nearby state of Florida uses it as source of income.
USS Oriskany was nicknamed “Mighty O”. It was a 276- meter aircraft carrier with a displacement of over 30,000 tons. It could carry up one hundred aircraft, and there were about 2,600 crew members.
USS Oriskany was used at the time of the Korean and Vietnam War. The U.S. Navy hadn’t used it since 1976.
Later, it was deliberately sunk in order to become an artificial reef (C-4 explosive was used). 230 kilograms of explosive were set at 22 locations on board. The ship sank about 37 minutes after the detonation.
Today, the carrier’s bridge is located about 20 meters under the sea. Its runway is much deeper, even 44 meters under the sea. This shipwreck is one of the world’s biggest underwater attractions.
