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| Complacency blamed for US Navy accident in Gulf: report | |
| 2009-11-22 | |
| WASHINGTON -- A crash between a nuclear-powered US submarine and a warship in the strategic Strait of Hormuz was an "avoidable" accident caused by complacent sailors and weak leadership, a Navy report said. The crash between the USS Hartford and USS New Orleans, an amphibious vessel, on March 20 was a "catastrophic failure" of management and navigation practices on the submarine, according to the report obtained by the Navy Times through a Freedom of Information Act request. The investigation, reported by the Navy Times on Wednesday, revealed that sailors on board the Hartford took a "lax" approach to navigating their vessel, with those assigned to keep watch often sleeping on the job. The heavily redacted report described one navigator listening to his iPod and simultaneously taking an exam while on duty.
Admiral John Harvey called the incident "an avoidable mishap" as he endorsed the investigation's findings. "Correction of any one of nearly 30 tactical and watchstander errors, or adherence to standard procedure, could have prevented this collision," he added. "In this case, the command team failed to do so, and a high price has been paid for that shortcoming." The crash injured 15 sailors and caused the fuel tank of the New Orleans to rupture, spilling 25,000 gallons (95,000 liters) of diesel fuel. It caused 2.3 million dollars in damage to the New Orleans, and the Hartford is still undergoing extensive repairs for costs estimated at 100 million dollars. The Navy investigation said the New Orleans crew "bears no fault" for the crash. The Strait of Hormuz, less than 60 miles (100 kilometers) at its widest point, separates Oman from Iran and is the gateway into the oil-rich Gulf. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 I'm sorry, Asymmetrical Triangulation. Was I wrong to say something right, or to say something wrong? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-11-22 23:26 |
| #8 TW...For shame! "Your understanding" is now someone's CLUE. Nice Job. |
| Posted by: Asymmetrical Triangulation 2009-11-22 20:14 |
| #7 For being silent specters of the deep, our boats seem to run into a lot of stuff. It's my understanding that there's lots of stuff to run into in the Strait of Hormuz, crowded into not very much depth. What say the experts? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-11-22 18:24 |
| #6 Straits of Hormuz is kinda NOT the place to be distracted and complacent |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-11-22 15:16 |
| #5 For being silent specters of the deep, our boats seem to run into a lot of stuff. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-11-22 14:56 |
| #4 the expected result where quality has taken a back seat to politics in promotion policy. the quest for diversity destroys the fabric of the whole. why bust your chops and run a tight ship when it is all decided by quota anyway. slide by and kiss ass... as long as there isn't anything terribly embarrassing to your superiors, you will move forward... a corrosive mentality, but one the left has placed on us |
| Posted by: abu do you love 2009-11-22 14:27 |
| #3 Go Navy! |
| Posted by: Yo Adrian 2009-11-22 12:04 |
| #2 the Hartford took a "lax" approach to navigating their vessel, with those assigned to keep watch often sleeping on the job What the hell!!! Sleeping on watch - that is a court martial offense - UCMJ articles 92 (Failure to obey an order or a regulation), 110 (Improperly hazarding a vessel), possibly 113 (Misbehavior of a sentinel or lookout), as well as a host of other charges. If the CO knew about this and did nothing, or if it was common knowledge that it happened, he should lose his command. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2009-11-22 01:39 |
| #1 one navigator listening to his iPod and simultaneously taking an exam while on duty. Just a guess (based on how stupid MSM reporters are), the "one navigator" was most certainly a petty officer (enlisted for you non-swabbies). The one's to take the brunt will be the CO, XO, and the Navigations Officer, plus whoever was the Officer of the Deck at the time of the accident. They would no longer have anyplace to serve in the Navy and would be expected to resign their commissions. |
| Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 2009-11-22 01:04 |