USS Chopper disaster documentary lands on Prime Video

A new documentary about the 1969 USS Chopper submarine disaster is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video. The film focuses on the crew’s survival story and includes interviews with sailors who lived through the crisis.

Why it matters: - The USS Chopper incident remains one of the most unusual survival stories in U.S. Navy submarine history. - The documentary brings a little-known military disaster to a wider audience through Prime Video. - The film centers the voices of the sailors who were aboard when the submarine descended toward crushing depth.

What happened: - “Crush Depth: The USS Chopper Incident” is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video. - The documentary recounts a 1969 U.S. Navy submarine disaster involving the USS Chopper off the coast of Cuba. - The submarine suddenly plunged toward implosion, and the crew believed they might die. - One sailor made a split-second decision that could have saved everyone or doomed the boat. - AMS Pictures hosted a premiere on Sept. 10 in Dallas. - The premiere brought together eight USS Chopper deep divers featured in the film and their families.

The details: - The documentary uses firsthand interviews, archival material and dramatic storytelling. - The film follows the crew as they face a rapidly unfolding emergency about 1,000 feet beneath the surface. - Rolan Cook, one of the survivors, said, “We’ve been waiting 57 years for this story to come out.” - Cook added that the survivors were “beyond thrilled” with the production. - Dan Duncan, another survivor, said the premiere was emotional. - Jack Merrill, a surviving torpedoman, said the film was hard to watch but “absolutely perfect.” - Merrill added that many important details of the ordeal have never been told and that the story needed to be told. - The documentary was written and directed by Brad Osborne. - Marisa Thomas produced the film. - Andy Streitfeld served as executive producer.

Between the lines: - The premiere suggests the film is aimed not just at documentary audiences, but also at preserving military history for the families and community connected to the event. - The emphasis on survivor testimony signals a story driven by memory, trauma and long-delayed public recognition. - The release also fits AMS Pictures’ track record of making historical and true-story documentaries.

What's next: - Viewers can now rent or buy the documentary on Prime Video. - The film may draw fresh attention to the USS Chopper incident outside the submarine community. - AMS Pictures continues to build a slate of documentary and unscripted projects, including past titles such as “Hindenburg: The Cover-Up,” “#TextMeWhenYouGetHome,” “Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection” and “I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash.”