Battlestar Galactica’s Saddest Moment Inspired By True Story Tragedy
The Battlestar Galactica reboot was filled with more than a few sad stories, but few of them were more tragic than when munitions were accidentally detonated onboard in “Act of Contrition,” killing Flat Top and 12 others. It’s a wrenching moment on its own, but it becomes even more awful after this accident leads to heartbreaking revelations about how Zak Adama died. Perhaps the only thing that could have made these Battlestar Galactica deaths more shocking is that the incident that killed Flat Top was based on a true story, namely the 1967 fire aboard the USS Forrestal.
Act Of Contrition’s Fatal Incident
We first need to recap this Battlestar Galactica tragedy before we can dive into the true story that it’s based on. Near the beginning of “Act of Contrition,” the pilot Flat Top has completed his thousandth deck landing, and other pilots have come down to the hangar to help him celebrate. Everybody is too busy celebrating to notice a drone breaking from its restraints, and after its motor is activated, it flies right into Flat Top and the pilots around him, killing 13 people when it explodes.
Based On The USS Forrestal Tragedy
At first glance, this wild moment seems like the kind of thing you only see on television…a one-in-a-million freak accident that could only spawn from the mind of a television writer. However, Battlestar Galactica showrunner Ronald D. Moore admitted on the DVD special features that this plot was inspired by a true story of what happened aboard the USS Forrestal. Because that vessel was America’s first completed supercarrier, the tragedy of the 1967 fire is still remembered as one of the worst incidents in Navy history, one resulting in a devastating loss of life.
An Electrical Anomaly
What happened on that fateful day was that an electrical anomaly caused a Zuni rocket attached to an F-4B Phantom to fire. That rocket subsequently hit the fuel tank of an A-4 Skyhawk, spilling jet fuel that caused nasty explosions throughout the ship (which, to make matters worse, was in the middle of combat operations as part of the Vietnam War). By the time it was all said and done, 134 sailors had died and 161 were injured, with future senator John McCain being one of the notable survivors.
Fiction Inspired By Truth
As you can tell, the incident that occurred in this Battlestar Galactica episode was relatively mild compared to the true story that it was based on. At the same time, the real-life incident is proof that the events of the episode, while improbable at first glance, were far from impossible. And considering how much Moore liked to make his universe realistically rough around the edges (very different from the Star Trek shows he worked on before), it makes sense that the fictional tragedy would be so completely inspired by a real one.
All Of This Has Happened Before
Ever since learning that this shocking Battlestar Galactica moment was inspired by a true story, we haven’t been able to look at this episode the same way. It’s downright weird to think the fictional deaths we mourned for were just a fractional reflection of the real tragedy that befell the USS Forrestal. And the fact that the series finale reveals how the show is a prequel to our own world history ultimately gives the show’s motto that “all of this has happened before and all of this will happen again” an even darker meaning than ever before.
