Navy finds lax
behavior aboard sub
in collision
(AP) –
5 days ago
GROTON, Conn. — The crew
of a U.S. submarine made
dozens of errors before
the vessel collided with
an American warship in
the Persian Gulf, an
accident that exposed
lax leaders who
tolerated sleeping,
slouching and a radio
room rigged with music
speakers, a Navy review
found.
Navy investigators
placed blame for the
March collision on the
submarine's "ineffective
and negligent command
leadership," including
what they called a lack
of standards and failure
to adequately prepare
for navigating the busy
Strait of Hormuz.
The Navy Times newspaper
first reported the
findings Sunday after
obtaining a heavily
redacted copy of the
Navy's report through a
Freedom of Information
Act request. A
Connecticut newspaper,
The Day of New London,
made a similar request
and reported the
findings Wednesday.
The USS Hartford, a
nuclear-powered
submarine based in
Groton, Conn., collided
with the USS New
Orleans, a San
Diego-based Navy
amphibious ship, on
March 20 in the narrow,
heavily traveled strait
at the mouth of the
Persian Gulf.
The New Orleans' fuel
tank was ruptured and 15
sailors on the Hartford
sustained minor
injuries. The collision
caused $2.3 million in
damage to the New
Orleans, and the cost so
far of repairs to the
Hartford is $102.6
million.
The commanding officer
was relieved of his
duties and the sub's
chief of the boat, an
adviser to the
commanding officer, was
reassigned. Several crew
members were punished.
The report said the crew
of the New Orleans bears
no fault, and that crew
members aboard the USS
Hartford made numerous
errors in the hour
before the collision.
"Correction of any one
of nearly 30 tactical
and watchstander errors,
or adherence to standard
procedures, could have
prevented this
collision," Adm. John C.
Harvey Jr., commander of
U.S. Fleet Forces
Command, wrote in
endorsing the
investigation's
findings.
The submarine had five
known "sleepers," or
sailors who would
routinely nod off on
watch, but no
disciplinary action was
taken, the report
states. Two of the five
sailors were working
during the collision,
but investigators found
no evidence they were
asleep.
During the hour before
the collision,
investigators say, sonar
operators in charge of
monitoring nearby ships
were chatting
informally; the
supervisor left his
station; the navigator
was taking an exam while
listening to his iPod;
and the officer in
command did not check
the periscope.
The lax behavior that
day wasn't unusual,
according to the report.
The Hartford's command
leadership routinely
observed informal
behavior by sailors
operating the submarine,
but did not immediately
correct it,
investigators found.
Those piloting the sub
would often slouch in
their seats with one
hand on the controls,
and sometimes take their
shoes off, sonar
operators and radiomen
were missing from their
stations for extended
periods, and speakers
were added to the radio
room to listen to music
during work.
"This appearance of a
lack of standards, and
of a general reticence
to hold personnel
accountable to
standards, did not
inspire either the
questioning attitude or
the forceful watch team
backup" that could have
helped avoid the
collision, the report
said.
The Hartford's
commanding officer,
Cmdr. Ryan Brookhart,
was relieved of his
duties after the
accident. He could not
immediately be located
for comment Wednesday.
Commander Patrick
McNally, a Norfolk,
Va.-based spokesman for
the Navy's Submarine
Force, said lessons from
the accident are now
part of training.
