What was the cause of the #5 engine failure during launch of Apollo 13?

Question

You guys are talking about the O2 tank explosion. Days before that, the #5 engine quit on take off. Never explained in the movie. That's the question.

Answer 1

The center J-2 engine on the 2nd stage shutdown prematurely due to excessive oscillations that might have torn the booster apart if it had not. They called this POGO because the rocket would oscillate longways along its body! The Gemini-Titans were very susceptible to this. To compensate, they burned the 4 remaining J-2 engines (800,000lbs thrust for the 4) longer to reach orbital altitude; then the 3rd stage with its one J-2 engine boosted them to final orbital speed of approximately 17,500mph in an orbit of approximately 100 miles high.

"The Apollo 13 mission began with a lesser-known malfunction. During the second stage burn the center engine shut down two minutes early. The four outer engines were run for longer than planned to compensate for this.[2] Engineers later discovered that this was due to dangerous pogo oscillations which might have torn the second stage apart; the engine was experiencing 68g vibrations at 16 hertz, flexing the thrust frame by 3 inches. Luckily the oscillations caused a sensor to register excessively low average pressure, and the computer shut the engine down automatically. [3] Smaller pogo oscillations had been seen on previous Apollo missions (and had been recognised as a potential problem from the earliest unmanned Titan-Gemini flights), but on Apollo 13 they had been amplified by an unexpected interaction with the cavitation in the turbopumps.[4] Later missions had anti-pogo modifications, which had already been under development since before Apollo 13, and which solved the problem. The modifications were the addition of a helium gas reservoir in the center engine's liquid oxygen line to dampen pressure oscillations in the line, plus an automatic cutoff for the center engine in case this failed and simplified propellant valves on all five second stage engines."

Answer 2

Apollo 13 was the third American manned lunar landing mission, part of the Apollo program. Two days after launch, the Apollo Spacecraft was crippled by an explosion, causing the Service Module portion of the Apollo Command/Service Module to lose its oxygen and electrical power. The crew used the Lunar Module as a lifeboat in space. The command module systems remained functional but were deactivated to preserve its capability to re-enter earth's atmosphere upon return to the earth. The crew endured difficult conditions due to severe constraints on power, cabin heat, and drinkable water, but successfully returned to Earth.

Answer 3

I remember it had to do with the routine stirring of the oxygen tanks-- but can't remember HOW that caused the explosion.

Answer 4

Mechanical trouble

Answer 5

wasnt it some bad wires on a cooling fan or in the console?

Answer 6

this video can explain what it was