Explosion at Tennessee Pyro Plant...

October 10, 2025, 03:12 PM

An explosion today at a TN pyro plant, Accurate Energetic Systems (former makers of Accurate gun powders), has made a mess of things. People completely missing, and no count on the injuries yet!

Nashville Channel 5 News Story Link

This is the part of TN where what remains of my blood kinfolk live. Not sure if any of them worked there but am trying to find out.

October 10, 2025, 03:30 PM

snwghst

Leveled

Read an article earlier that used “energetic munitions” as a descriptive. I chuckled

October 10, 2025, 03:42 PM

Sig2340

I looked up images of the facility.

It was a large, high order detonation. I wonder what were the explosives safety quantity limits for the building. It looks like hundreds of pounds went, to use a technical term, KABOOM!

I doubt anyone in the building survived (the building is basically a crater).

I suspect BATFE and the DOD Explosives Safety Board will be crawling over the debris for weeks.

Before:

After:

October 10, 2025, 03:55 PM

gunnitt

Prayers for those families.

October 10, 2025, 04:22 PM

mrvmax

I got to participate in quite a few propagation tests when in the military. Testing how effective separation was for bombs. Condolences to those who were involved.

October 10, 2025, 05:34 PM

Anush

I worked as a financial and software consultant at Accurate for several months many years ago. I installed the manufacturing and financial software used at that time. Each building and explosives storage is segregated at the mouth of a hollow so an explosion would be contained. At that time they also made & packaged Accurate smokeless gunpowder. I was always nervous when I was in the explosives buidings. I was once told it was not if an explosion would occur but when. Several years ago the smokeless powder packing building exploded.

https://www.google.com/maps/@3...IKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

October 10, 2025, 05:39 PM

400m

19 missing. I can’t imagine the pain all the families are suffering. That’s heartbreaking.

October 10, 2025, 05:39 PM

P220 Smudge

I very briefly worked at Nammo/Lapua/Berger. That picture is beyond horrifying. "Leveled," indeed.

October 10, 2025, 11:34 PM

flesheatingvirus

I know a guy who took a job there who used to be work at the same place as me. I don't know if he's alive or not.

A friend/coworker of mine was just there for a work-related project, too. It looks like their melt cast facility went high-order. Most operations like this are done remotely, but I don't know specifically about this one or what exactly they were doing when this occurred. I'll be very interested to get my hands on a final investigation report.

AES isn't a pyro company; as far as I'm aware, they focus on high explosive ordnance/devices such as shaped chargers and other items.

________________________________________

-- Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. --

October 11, 2025, 12:26 PM

Broadside

quote:
Originally posted by Anush:
I worked as a financial and software consultant at Accurate for several months many years ago. I installed the manufacturing and financial software used at that time.

I'm an accountant and I work in Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing. May I ask what software you installed?

If you can't disclose due to client confidentiality, I understand.

October 11, 2025, 03:39 PM

12131

Fox News reports that there are no survivors. No surprise, based on that devastation.

October 11, 2025, 05:05 PM

Lt CHEG

quote:
Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:

A friend/coworker of mine was just there for a work-related project, too. It looks like their melt cast facility went high-order. Most operations like this are done remotely, but I don't know specifically about this one or what exactly they were doing when this occurred. I'll be very interested to get my hands on a final investigation report.

I know ATF NCETR gets things like flake TNT, Comp B and items like that from that facility, or at least they did. I know they deal a lot with sensitized TNT blends, so my first thought was potentially some part of the casting process went wonky. Very sad to see and will be interested in finding out what went wrong.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

October 11, 2025, 05:49 PM

Sig2340

I've looked at other images and will bet the actual cause will not be discovered. There so little left it will take a breakthrough from an offsite source finding an obscure clue.

October 11, 2025, 09:07 PM

ZSMICHAEL

I am surprised no one is suggesting terrorism. Not that I think it was,just curious.

October 11, 2025, 10:02 PM

Cookster

quote:
Originally posted by Sig2340:
I've looked at other images and will bet the actual cause will not be discovered. There so little left it will take a breakthrough from an offsite source finding an obscure clue.

Would this type of company / operation have an off-site IT data back-up facility?

Many companies are often required by law (HIPAA, or SOX, etc.) or do it on their to ensure operational continuity.

Perhaps back-ups of in-process production operations (and/or on-hand product inventory and storage conditions of them) would provide some forensic insight into the incident?

October 12, 2025, 05:27 AM

4MUL8R

Re: forensics—-I would immediately contact the company what does the pre-employment background checks. The person who recently joined from country X with a temporary work permit…was that person on site at the time of the tragedy?

October 12, 2025, 08:27 AM

Sigmund

quote:
Originally posted by Sig2340:

It was a large, high order detonation. I wonder what were the explosives safety quantity limits for the building. It looks like hundreds of pounds went, to use a technical term, KABOOM!...

A pal who used to work in explosives safety theorized the personnel and explosives safety limits were treated as suggestions and not completely integrated into the manufacturing process.

October 12, 2025, 08:39 AM

r0gue

Are my eyes deceiving me, or did it blow the asphalt off the roads and that parking lot some 100 or so feet away?

October 12, 2025, 12:06 PM

flesheatingvirus

quote:
Originally posted by Sigmund:
quote:
Originally posted by Sig2340:

It was a large, high order detonation. I wonder what were the explosives safety quantity limits for the building. It looks like hundreds of pounds went, to use a technical term, KABOOM!...

A pal who used to work in explosives safety theorized the personnel and explosives safety limits were treated as suggestions and not completely integrated into the manufacturing process.

It would demurely not be the first time that happened in this field.

quote:
Originally posted by r0gue:
Are my eyes deceiving me, or did it blow the asphalt off the roads and that parking lot some 100 or so feet away?

I doubt it. The pristine aerial shot looks like it was taken when the asphalt (up to the Y and the parking lot, the loop appears to be gravel) was fairly fresh. Now they are likely covered in dust, dirt, and debris. There would likely be much more ground disturbance between the building site and the parking lot if the blast were strong enough to take off paving. The cars would probably be gone or moved, too.

October 12, 2025, 12:14 PM

Anush

quote:
Are my eyes deceiving me, or did it blow the asphalt off the roads and that parking lot some 100 or so feet away?

No, look at Google maps. Asphalt ends at the loop and gravel begins.

https://www.google.com/maps/@3...IKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

"Would this type of company / operation have an off-site IT data back-up facility?"

Accurate has several buidings and explosive storage sites. Look at Google maps and you will see the headquarters office at the main entrance and explosive storage bunkers.

Main Office

https://www.google.com/maps/@3...IKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Some of the bunkers

https://www.google.com/maps/@3...IKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D