Vets applaud skipper of nuclear submarine in fatal crash

S F Chron ^ | May 30, 2005 | Delfin Vigil

[Ramonan]

Navy Cmdr. Kevin Mooney, who has accepted responsibility for a fatal submarine crash in January, received a standing ovation at a Memorial Day celebration in San Francisco . "I appreciate it. But I don't feel like I deserve it," Mooney told the crowd of about 200 -- most of them gray-haired veterans dressed in neatly pressed uniforms pinned with polished medals.

The Navy reprimanded Mooney and relieved him of duty after the crash, which injured nearly 100 sailors, one fatally. A Navy investigation concluded this month that its own key charts didn't show the undersea mountain the submarine San Francisco struck.

Mooney was the guest of honor at an annual memorial at Lands End that celebrates both the World War II-era cruiser San Francisco and the modern nuclear submarine San Francisco.

Standing in his white uniform with a full color guard at the salvaged bridge of the cruiser that was heavily damaged at the Battle of Guadalcanal in November of 1942, Mooney said: "I am humbled to stand on this hallowed ground. There is no greater honor than to say that I am a USS San Francisco sailor."

"I think it's a disgrace the way the military has put all the blame on him," Johnson said. "They gave him a map, told him when, how and where to go and then he followed their orders. So how can that be his fault?"

Mooney paid tribute with a three-bell salute to Petty Officer Joseph Ashley. Ashley died of injuries he sustained when he was flung about 20 feet head-first into a pump. The veterans in attendance Sunday afternoon rallied around Mooney.

"You are to be commended for saving the sub," retired Capt. Stanley E. Ellexson Jr. told Mooney before introducing him as the guest of honor.

[ProudVet77]

Think most vets, particularly Navy, would see it this way too.

[Double_in_a_bight]

Why are skippers expelled for hitting, what they couldn't avoid ?

Or could he ?

[Severa]

PING for the submariners list...

[FReepaholic]

..."You are to be commended for saving the sub," retired Capt. Stanley E. Ellexson Jr. told Mooney ...

No matter what caused the mishap, the actions of the officers and crew to save the boat was nothing less than heroic.

[taxesareforever]

A standing "O" for the vets also. Ordinary people know and feel the skipper did a tremendous job and the Navy thanks him by relieving him from duty. It's too bad that there are still those who believe in zero defects. When you are dealing with humans there is no such thing as zero defects.

[bmwcyle]

I was on submarines. If it was not on the chart you can't see it. I have the picture of the damaged sub on my desk at work. It took a good Captain to bring it home. It took skill to keep it off the bottom.

[Rebelbase]

Official inquiry found that the Captain violated certain operational protocols that collectively contributed to the accident.

[cherokee1]

I just don't think the San Fran story is over yet----if the Navy sticks with its story about the bad map then there should be at least one court martial---for map guy. It's not like subs never went where the San Fran supposedly was before.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

If the skipper had been parnoid, the accident would probably not have happened. Reportedly the map wasn't the only info available, but the stuff which would have given better warning wasn't as easily accessible.

[cherokee1]

In this case removal from command was something of a formality since the front end of his boat WAS GONE. Not long ago a skipper was removed from a boomer for tapping a buoy in the King's bay channel. Mooney only faced a captain's mast, immediately,---not a court martial. So far as I can see he could actually get another command---when one is available. His old boat will be in repairs probably longer than his tour would have been. Somehow the Navy is having trouble spitting out the details of the incident and we only hear about it at all because a sailor died. Nothing to do but stay tuned.

[DJ Taylor]

"Official inquiry found that the Captain violated certain operational protocols that collectively contributed to the accident."

You are probably right. I am not a submariner, but I do know that in many incidents like this, one failure (the map)did not cause this accident, but it was more than likely a cascading series of failures that lead to the submarine hitting the sea mount. The Captain was not responsible for the map's inaccuracy, but if he had been following proper operational procedures, the map's inacuracy would probably have been detected and the accident prevented.

One can usually get away with sloppy leadership as long as nothing goes wrong, but when things finally go wrong, and they eventually will, you are going to get hammered, as did the good Captain.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

'Zero defects'? Do you really remember 'zero defects'? When Rickover saw this motto at CNS, heads rolled. Then came the halcyon Eighties and our BRAC 'thank you'. The public yards and their employees are the peace dividend. You're welcome.

[jws3sticks]

This one might be easier to view.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The Source for Navy News

www.news.navy.mil   

	050508-N-0000X-002 Apra Harbor, Guam (May 8, 2005) – The Los Angeles class submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) shown in dry dock is having repairs made on its damaged bow. A new large steel dome about 20 feet high and 20 feet in diameter was put in the place of the damaged bow. San Francisco ran aground 350 miles south of Guam Jan. 8, killing one crew member and injuring 23. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED)
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USS San Francisco Investigation Completed
Story Number: NNS050509-14
5/9/2005

From U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy announced May 9 the completion of the investigation into the Jan. 8 accident aboard the submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) that claimed the life of one Sailor.

San Francisco struck an undersea mountain about 360 miles southeast of its Guam homeport because its leaders and watch teams failed to develop and execute a safe voyage plan, the command investigation into the incident concluded.

"The findings of fact show that San Francisco, while transiting at flank (maximum) speed and submerged to 525 feet, hit a seamount that did not appear on the chart being used for navigation," the 124-page report said of the incident in the vicinity of the Caroline Islands.

"Other charts in San Francisco’s possession did, however, clearly display a navigation hazard in the vicinity of the grounding," it said. "San Francisco’s navigation team failed to review those charts adequately and transfer pertinent data to the chart being used for navigation, as relevant directives and the ship’s own procedures required.

"If San Francisco’s leaders and watch teams had complied with requisite procedures and exercised prudent navigation practices, the grounding would most likely have been avoided. Even if not wholly avoided, however, the grounding would not have been as severe and loss of life may have been prevented."

Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Joseph Allen Ashley, 24, of Akron, Ohio, died aboard the submarine Jan. 9 from an "inevitably fatal" severe head injury sustained during the accident.

"Earlier evacuation or arrival of medical officers would not have changed the outcome for [Petty Officer] Ashley" the investigation said in regard to the two additional medical personnel flown aboard by helicopter and two attempts to medically evacuate him by helicopter.

Another 97 of 137 crew members reported injuries ranging from minor bruising and muscle strains to two who suffered dislocated shoulders. Sixty-eight of them were evaluated and treated aboard, while the remaining 29 were treated at Naval Hospital Guam when San Francisco returned to port under its own power Jan. 10. Just three of them were admitted overnight for further evaluation and treatment.

As a result of the collision, U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert relieved Cmdr. Kevin Mooney of his command of San Francisco Feb. 12 following non-judicial punishment proceedings in Yokosuka, Japan. Mooney also received a letter of reprimand.

But Greenert, in his endorsement of the investigation, also praised Mooney’s prior record and performance following the impact.

"Although the grounding incident compelled me to punish [him] and remove him from command, in my opinion it does not negate 19 years of exemplary service," the admiral wrote. "Prior to the grounding incident, USS San Francisco demonstrated a trend of continuing improvement and compiled an impressive record of achievement under [Mooney’s] leadership. Moreover, the crew’s post-grounding response under his direct leadership was commendable and enabled [the sub’s] recovery and safe return to port."

Greenert also criticized the executive officer and navigation team for their share of the responsibility, saying their "failure to adequately and critically review applicable publications and available charts led to submission of an ill-advised voyage plan and hindered the commanding officer’s ability to make fully informed safety-of-ship decisions."

Six crew members were punished March 22 by Capt. Bradley Gehrke, commander of Submarine Squadron 15 on Guam, to which San Francisco was assigned. None were identified due to privacy reasons, but they included enlisted, senior enlisted and officer. The punishments included reduction in rate and punitive letters of reprimand.

San Francisco remains in drydock in Apra Harbor, Guam, under repair.

For more news from around the fleet, visit the www.navy.mil.

[spetznaz]

There are three ways to do things: The right way, the wrong way, and the Navy way.

[A.A. Cunningham]

You need to resize a photo that large before posting it.

[daviddennis]

Wouldn't radar and/or sonar devices aboard these subs normally detect such an obstacle?

D

[El Gran Salseron]

You may want to ping your "Steely-Eyed Killers of the Deep" ping list to this one.