# Failures so epic they qualify as art. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 18, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912 "2020-06-18T16:09:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/1 "2020-06-18T16:09:15Z")
I nominate [this](https://streamable.com/pfihd7) spectacular equipment failure as one of the all time best “Oh shit” events. Note the cascading failures continuing further into the background over time. According to reddit, there were no serious injuries, even for the driver. Seen any similar videos lately? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/2 "2020-06-18T16:21:56Z")
That’s very cool. And certainly good that you referred to it as equipment failure - surely this is a design failure, the use of inadequate equipment for the purpose. It’s hardly the forklift driver’s fault. The classic of the genre is surely the Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge. The only casualty was a dog. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XggxeuFDaDU/maxresdefault.jpg "Tacoma Bridge Collapse: The Wobbliest Bridge in the World? (1940) | British Pathé") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XggxeuFDaDU) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/3 "2020-06-18T16:28:55Z")
I like this mass crash across a wet finish line in the 2007 Giro (cycling race). What I is unique is that I don’t think there’s contact between any of the crashing and sliding riders. The cascade of falls is caused by successive attempts at evasive action on the slick road. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3jeB9_VmkNc/hqdefault.jpg "Giro 2007 Stage 11 Crash") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jeB9_VmkNc) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/4 "2020-06-18T17:49:53Z")
I remember some clips of early ‘flying machines’. Some were actual attempts by people who did not understand physics or had not done serious examination of the Wright’s work, and some were probably not serious to begin with, but they (1) failed, often spectacularly, and (2) many of them would qualify as art, IMHO. There are many clips that can be easily accessed, here is one with a variety: [Early Flying Failures Stock Footage - The Film Gate - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp7MHZY2ADI) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/5 "2020-06-18T17:53:21Z")
More an epic landing rather than an epic failure. [Penske truck winds up on top of house in bizarre crash caught on dash cam](https://cdllife.com/2019/penske-truck-winds-up-on-top-of-house-in-bizarre-crash-caught-on-dash-cam/) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/6 "2020-06-18T18:00:10Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > There are many clips that can be easily accessed, here is one with a variety: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp7MHZY2ADI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp7MHZY2ADI) The one at 0:20 where a biplane is flown into a barn looks deliberate. It’s clearly a fake barn constructed for the purpose at a show, and it looks like a proper flying biplane, not some early joke. Not sure what’s going on there. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/7 "2020-06-18T18:18:16Z")
One of my favorite Youtube videos, [Trust me I’m an engineer,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp8hvyjZWHs) has a compendium of epic fails. (Yes, I know a few of them are bogus.) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/8 "2020-06-18T18:26:25Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > One of my favorite Youtube videos, [Trust me I’m an engineer,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp8hvyjZWHs) has a compendium of epic fails. (Yes, I know a few of them are bogus.) This reminds me of the Soviet engineering joke from _Chernobyl_. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCl-ZRj9auQ) (joke starts 20 seconds in) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/9 "2020-06-18T18:34:22Z")
A hero emerges stage right to save the day [Man Saves the Day From Out of Control Airport Cart | Time](https://time.com/5689884/airport-cart/) This one was replicated last season on “9-1-1”. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/10 "2020-06-18T20:26:15Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > I nominate [this](https://streamable.com/pfihd7) spectacular equipment failure as one of the all time best “Oh shit” events. Note the cascading failures continuing further into the background over time. > > According to reddit, there were no serious injuries, even for the driver. > > Seen any similar videos lately? Wow, like a bunch of dominoes! This is an illustration of why 1. We tell forklift drivers to avoid ramming the forklifts into stuff, and 2. Why forklifts usually have protective cages for the driver, and 3. Why those cages are so often dented. Now if we could just get the newest cart boy at work to stop ramming carts into the Very Expensive Lottery Vending machine… ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/11 "2020-06-18T21:42:15Z")
[quote=“Riemann, post:3, topic:855912”] I like this mass crash across a wet finish line in the 2007 Giro (cycling race). What I is unique is that I don’t think there’s contact between any of the crashing and sliding riders. The cascade of falls is caused by successive attempts at evasive action on the slick road. [/QUOTE] Then there’s the [crash last year on the Mountain of Hell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlcAFVO_Kyo) race in the Alps, which definitely included contact between riders. Skip to 3:00 for the slo-mo view. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/12 "2020-06-18T22:20:56Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > I nominate [this](https://streamable.com/pfihd7) spectacular equipment failure as one of the all time best “Oh shit” events. Note the cascading failures continuing further into the background over time. > > According to reddit, there were no serious injuries, even for the driver. > > Seen any similar videos lately? When and where did THAT happen? I’m glad nobody was seriously injured, or worse, but millions of dollars’ in merchandise had to have been destroyed. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/13 "2020-06-18T22:21:10Z")
Dead whale washed up on beach. How do you get rid of it? Dynamite, of course! > **[Exploding whale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_whale)** > > There have been several cases of exploding whale carcasses due to a buildup of gas in the decomposition process. This would occur if a whale stranded itself ashore. Actual explosives have also been used to assist in disposing of whale carcasses, ordinarily after towing the carcass out to sea, and as part of a beach cleaning effort. It was reported as early as 1928, when an attempt to preserve a carcass failed due to faulty chemical usages. > A widely reported case of an exploding whale occurred ... [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_KTQtIBsum4/maxresdefault.jpg "The Disastrous Exploding Whale of Florence, Oregon") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KTQtIBsum4) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/14 "2020-06-18T22:38:57Z")
The [Worst Forklift Operator](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA7TIw5VCnI) looks like a scene out of Mr. Bean. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/15 "2020-06-18T22:44:39Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > That’s very cool. And certainly good that you referred to it as equipment failure - surely this is a design failure, the use of inadequate equipment for the purpose. It’s hardly the forklift driver’s fault. I assume there was an investigation after this event (OSHA or the equivalent, the insurance company, etc.). I wonder what the conclusion was. Should the racks have been bolted to the floor? Were they overloaded? I tried to google it but couldn’t find actual stories about it. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/16 "2020-06-25T19:14:51Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Wow, like a bunch of dominoes! Much much better than the most elaborate domino crash I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/17 "2020-06-25T20:29:00Z")
This one is lovely. Molten metal everywhere [https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e3cce434db604b64e60ad095b4c606c3cf8d47c1.mov](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e3cce434db604b64e60ad095b4c606c3cf8d47c1.mov) ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/18 "2020-06-25T22:22:00Z")
I’ve seen a couple compilation videos of quarantined people trying to work out at home, with slapstick results. Maybe a very low kind of art, but I chuckled. [- YouTube](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xyEtbeMwhE8) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/19 "2020-06-26T01:01:35Z")
I almost forgot this one, as a concrete buffer takes on a half dozen construction workers as it does an industrial ballet…[Concrete Buffer Gone Wild - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KvxOuC7Bhc) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912/20 "2020-06-26T01:03:26Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > This one is lovely. Molten metal everywhere Ooh, pretty! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/failures-so-epic-they-qualify-as-art/855912.md?page=2)