A new round of technical setbacks stalled Plan A. As technicians rushed to change the hammers and head of the drill another three days were lost. Though Plan A was now less than 328 feet from the men, few engineers bet that the much-hyped original rescue plan would win the race. The slow but steady original drilling operation was now headed for third place. Both the other drills have proven faster in the unique conditions of the San José mine.
Plan C also faced a setback when an errant drill led the shaft far off track. Using a smaller drill bit, engineers devised a plan to curb the tunnel back on course, then return to drilling with the full-sized bit, which would bore a tunnel wide enough for the Phoenix. In total, nearly a week would be lost. But the speed of Plan C was not compromised by the inability to keep the massive rig on course.
All bets were now on Plan B, which by day 59 had reached 1,400 feet and appeared to be the most reliable technology in the epic operation. With Plan A and Plan C facing major challenges, President Piñera’s decision to operate three separate technologies now seemed utterly prescient.
Jonathan Franklin
33 Men: Inside the Miraculous Survival and Dramatic Rescue of the Chilean Miners. Putnam 2011. p.214, 215
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