Date: 28 December 1978

Location: Pacific Ocean, aboard K-171 submarine

Type of event: reactor accident

Description:

A reactor accident occurred aboard the submarine K-171. The K-171, commissioned in 1976, was a Project 667B (Delta-I) class submarine, with two water cooled/water moderated reactors each of 290 MWt capacity. On 28 December 1978 while in the Pacific Ocean, K-171 suffered a reactor accident. Radiation exposures resulted in the deaths of 3 crew members.

Consequences: 3 fatalities.

References:

• Lisovsky, I. V., May 2000, "The analysis of risk of the radiation failures in Russian Navy--Experience of international cooperation," 10th IRPA Congress Proceedings, on line, IRPA [http://www2000.irpa.net/irpa10/cdrom/01200.pdf].
• Nilsen, Thomas, Igor Kudrik, and Alexandr Nikitin, Aug. 1996, "Nuclear submarine accidents," in The Russian Northern Fleet, Bellona, on line at Bellona [http://spb.org.ru/bellona/ehome/russia/nfl/nfl8.htm].
• Nilsen, Thomas, Igor Kudrik, and Alexandr Nikitin, 28 Sept. 1997, "Project 667 B (Murena) - Delta-I Class," in The Russian Northern Fleet--updated, Bellona, on line at Bellona [http://spb.org.ru/bellona/ehome/russia/nfl/667b.htm].
• Reistad, Ole, and Povl L. Olgaard, April 2006, Inventory and Source Term Evaluation of Russian Nuclear Power Plants for Marine Applications, report NKS-139, NKS, on line [http://130.226.56.167/nordisk/publikationer/1994_2004/NKS-139.pdf].
• Reistad, Ole, and Povl L. Olgaard, April 2006, Russian Nuclear Power Plants for Marine Applications, report NKS-138, NKS, on line [http://130.226.56.167/nordisk/publikationer/1994_2004/NKS-138.pdf].