Nuclear Submarine Runs Aground South of Guam

The Associated Press ^ | Jan 8, 2005 | The Associated Press

[Jet Jaguar]

HONOLULU (AP) - A nuclear submarine ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam, injuring several sailors, one of them critically, the Navy said.

There were no reports of damage to the USS San Francisco's reactor plant, which was operating normally, the Navy said.

Jon Yoshishige, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, said the Friday afternoon incident is under investigation and the 360-foot submarine was headed back to its home port in Guam.

Details on the sailors' injuries were not immediately available. The sub has a crew of 137, officials said.

Military and Coast Guard aircraft from Guam were en route to monitor the submarine and assist if needed, the Navy said.

Guam is a U.S. territory about 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.

---

On the Net:

U.S. Pacific Fleet: http://www.cpf.navy.mil

AP-ES-01-08-05 0343EST

[jriemer]

See post #114 for an incomplete list of previous sub-sub collisions.

[rolling_stone]

Rocks and shoals..
article 4 section 10

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq59-7.htm

[NormsRevenge]

In this photo released by the US Navy the attack submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) is escorted by two harbor tugs returns to Apra Harbor, Guam, after a five-month deployment June 4, 2004. The USS San Francisco ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam, injuring several sailors, one of them critically, the Navy said late Friday Jan. 7, 2005. (AP Photo/US Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Mark A. Leonesio)

[Robert A Cook PE]

And, it could have simply ran right through an 80 ton blue whale at 20+ knots.....

Not quite running aground, but the effect is similar to hitting a truck at high speed.

(Don't worry too much about the ballast tanks being bent or damaged, as far as keeping the ship afloat. If the "running aground" occurred at any angle at all, then only the bottom is bent/torn up/damaged, and the sub ballast tanks are open to sea water anyway all the time.

If the sonar dome hit, and it almost certainly did, then it's destroyed, but again, the structural integrity of the fiberglass sonar dome isn't affecting the structural integrity of the ballast tanks (which are behind the sonar dome.) If the sonar dome and sonar mounting structure (the HY-80 sphere itself that is inside the fiberglass sonar dome) were damaged, or even torn off, then there is a watertight door that isolates the sonar sphere and its electronics and trans

[Dan Cooper]

You're no Navy man.
You run aground, you're fired.
Period.
I saw it happen often in Vietnam with LST's.

This Captain is so fired.

[ExtremeUnction]

I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt..

Well and good, but Naval commanders know the consequences of something like this are a hearing, and a forced retirement. it's just part of their code.

[mylife]

My thoughts exactly

[judicial meanz]

Thanks for the report Nimitz. I had a suspicion.

It sounded that way to me after the initial report, but I didnt want to raise an alarm without facts present. Thanks for letting me know. I suggest all subvets on FR stand ready to help out in any way we can. This looks to be bad.


For people who arent submariners:

A 6900 ton submarine hitting a submerged object during transit is nothing to minimize. The deceleration is enough to throw people arond and make objects fly. People can be killed by missile hazards, equipment coming unbolted from its foundations and crushing them, or even the old cliche of a torpedo breaking a strap and falling on someone.


The boat will probably need a lot of time in the yards, or may even be out of commission for good.

Prayers for all the guys on the San Francisco.

[Miss Behave]

"My son Zack is aboard. Please for the crew."

Dear rsobin, TexKat alerted me to your post, and I wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you and your son and the crew. Don't worry, I'm sure everything is going to be OK. That aside, I'm concentrating as hard as I can with prayer and good thoughts for you, your darling, giving, awesome, strong, brave, protector of ALL us Americans that-are-so-PROUD-of-him son, and his likewise fellow great shipmates. I'll check back in a while on you and them, but know that hard prayers are going up from us FReepers, but also that all will no doubt be OK. We're with you, rsobin.

Thank you, Tex...a bunch.

[mylife]

Hope your son is OK

[Robert A Cook PE]

No.

A tsunami, underwater in deep water (300-1500 feet), passes "around" at submarine not "through" or "against" the submarine ; as it travels, the tsunami is not a "shock wave" like the sudden pressure wave that comes from an underwater explosion.

[MEG33]

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.100010427/default.html
Eternal Father, strong to save

May God be with the families who wait for news,may the rumors be untrue about the dead.
I pray for those who are injured.

There is a father on this thread...His son's name is Zack.

[jriemer]

Found this tangential factoid:

During a night surface attack on February 7, 1943, USS GROWLER became engaged in a life and death struggle with a Japanese vessel which attempted to ram the submarine. Commander Gilmore was able to turn the tables and rammed the enemy instead. Now close alongside the Japanese ship, GROWLER's bridge was sprayed by deadly machine gun fire. Gilmore got everyone below to safety except himself. Badly wounded, he knew that it would take too long to be carried below and anyone attempting to do so would be exposed to enemy fire. Every second that GROWLER remained on the surface increased her vulnerability to attack and sinking. Gilmore ordered "Take her down,' without him. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for this selfless act of heroism.source

[Robert A Cook PE]

You really don't want the "pleasure" of playing with SUBROC's.

Granted, it's sovbering to see the actual nuke warhead, but there's no real valid reason to use one....

Unless you're a Taiwanese sub looking at several hundred landing craft headed into your island!

[mylife]

I cant see enought detail in that pic but if the sail is hammered, we're talking collision

[fastattacksailor]

Absolutely.

All of what you say is entirely possible---if not actually the case; But given that I wasn't there, I'd like to see how it develops. As you know, sometimes there is a mitigating factor.

He might have been sprinting to regain a lost contact---and doing so in shallow waters is a no-no. If he did that he was operating outside the envelope.

I AM hoping that it was not the case. I'd just hate to see the Force get another black eye. (whether real or perceived)


One last---I remember a boat that hit a rockpile at 10 Kt. There was a few injuries (a few sprains and one fairly deep laceration) they also had one injury that was serious only because the casualty was a TM inspecting a tube. the impact sent his head into the ID and gave him a helluva skull fracture. the doc did a great job there too....

[NormsRevenge]

That picture of the SSN San FRancisco is from June 2004, not taken recently.

I should have bolded that in the caption.

:-)

[Robert A Cook PE]

What's funky is closing the hatch in Groton at 23 degrees and snowing winds under cloudy skies, wearing thremals and snowsuits and full winter gear, then opening it again in PR at 92 degrees and sunny skies.

And never seeing the weather, skies, or wind in between!

[mylife]

Im so observent L0L