An air leak was detected on the bottle tap of a self-breathing apparatus undergoing cleaning after use during a response at a fire in a single-family dwelling. The fire-fighter attempting to shut this valve noticed that it was spinning loose when his wrench suddenly snapped off the bottle body. The self-breathing apparatus slammed against a wall, grazing the agent’s leg without causing injury. Tested in November 2000, with a volume of 6.8 l and subjected to a 70 bar pressure during the accident, the bottle in question was of a composite material with a polyamide liner and an AA6061TC type nozzle.