Falling 500-Ton Stator at Arkansas Nuclear Plant Kills One, Injures Eight and Trips Reactor

Details continue to emerge on an industrial accident that killed a worker at Arkansas Nuclear One and cut off-site power to a reactor at the plant on Sunday.

Arkansas Nuclear One. Source: NRCAccording to an event report filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and made public Monday, a temporary lift device failed while moving the unit 1 main turbine generator stator, which weighs about 500 tons. The resulting damage caused the loss of all offsite power to the unit, according to the NRC. Unit 2 shut down automatically from full power, and its emergency feed water systems activated. Decay heat removal was restored at unit 1 within four minutes, according to the report, and unit 2 operators issued an unusual event declaration for about eight hours because of damaged switchgear.
 
Unit 1 was offline for a normal refueling and maintenance outage when the stator fell, plant owner Entergy said in a release. Workers were moving it out of the turbine building at about 7:45 a.m. when the accident killed one employee and injured eight others. Six were treated and released, and Entergy said Sunday that two remained in the hospital.

The local coroner later identified Wade Walters, 24, as the worker who was killed, central Arkansas TV station KARK reported.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I am a nuclear worker and want to say how sorry i am to the family's and have the Walters family is my prayers.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I am a traveling nuclear worker, and am very sorry to hear about that tragedy.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    My condolences to the family and friends of Wade Walters.  

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    All my sympathies to the Walters family and the ANO community.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    As a independent contractor for the nuclear industry, I know that safety is number one priority for the industry. I have worked at more than 10 different plants and all push safety first. This is a tragedy for the family and all of Wade's friends and coworkers, we are a nuclear family in the industry, going from plant to plant we tend to know each other. I did not know Wade but please except my condolence for your loss.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Thoughts and prayers to all invovled .

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Scary and sad in my prayers

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    as a nuke worker prayers for this man's family

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous

    I am from Engineering Mangement, sorry to hear the accident and death involved & pray fot he Walters family. Hope investigation will lead to leasson learned on how to handle the overhead rail crane desing and operations? Cannot afford another mishap.