WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy submarine accident that killed one sailor and injured 24 others occurred when the vessel -- traveling at high speed -- hit an undersea mountain head-on, Pentagon officials said Monday. Posted on 01/10/2005 3:04:10 PM PST by holymoly
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy submarine accident that killed one sailor and injured 24 others occurred when the vessel -- traveling at high speed -- hit an undersea mountain head-on, Pentagon officials said Monday.
Saturday's accident caused part of the sonar dome, which is part of the submarine's nose, to flood, officials said.
The commander of the USS San Francisco, Kevin Mooney, has not been relieved of duty while the investigation of the accident continues.
Mooney could be relieved of duty if officials determine there is enough evidence that the accident could have been averted.
The investigation will look at the sub's speed, its location and whether the undersea formation was on navigational charts, officials said.
The submarine was traveling in excess of 30 knots -- about 35 mph -- when its nose hit the undersea formation head-on, officials said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Luckily there were not more injuries after hitting head on
How does this happen?
Gee, as expensive as that submarine has to be, you'd think they would have equipped it with sonar. </sarcasm>
. . . and if that formation was not on the charts, who is responsible for that??Seems like existing radar technology allows the mapping of the sea floor from space.
We had a long thread on this the other day. In that part of the world, undersea mountains literally rise up overnight because of volcanic activity. So the mountain might not have been on a chart.
Even so it does seem a little odd that none of the navigation systems (or their monitors) caught this, but then, I don't know a single thing about navigation systems on a sub, so perhaps there's an explanation for it.
A 30+ knot head-on collision - it's a miracle, and a testament to the seamanship of the crew, that the boat waasn't lost with all hands. The CO will soon be looking for other work at best, and may be facing a court martial at worst.
The mountain did a Crazy Ivan.
/humor
Was the mountain there prior to the recene tsunami ?
"seem a little odd that none of the navigation systems (or their monitors) caught this,"
Well, I'm wondering if everyone was on a coffee break or asleep?
. . . but then, since the whole idea of a submarine is to evade detection, and since active sonar announces your location, maybe there could be a reason not to operate it.
Darn that Mapquest.
Depends if he was off course and outside recognised sea lanes. Subs just dont run at 40 knots in unchartered waters.
"...on a chart..."
Aren't they doing real-time mapping and navigation, these days, l?
Here's a submarine (a long, phallic-shaped structure), full of seamen, named the "San Francisco" and commanded by a Mooney, rams a mountain "head on."
What's the odds?
I don't think it was a problem with a dirty windshield. The Navy pays a fortune on windshield wipers. It might be that the squirter thingy ran out of fluid. Happens a lot this time of year.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.