George Washington fire delays ‘hull swap’

Looks like a little extra time in Hawaii for the crew of the Kittyhawk.

The skipper of the GW is going to have a lot of explaining to do.

It sounds like the fire on the GW was worse than initially reported.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

George Washington fire delays ‘hull swap’
Kitty Hawk will continue to conduct Pacific operations

By Allison Batdorff and Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, June 1, 2008

Courtesy Christopher Delano / U.S. Navy
Fire Team Leader,Machinery Repairman 2nd Class William Neault, guides his team into Hangar Bay 3. The comprehensive firefighting effort extinguished all fires while limiting shipboard damage and preventing any serious injuries for the crew.

Courtesy Christopher Delano / U.S. Navy
Sailors work to put out a fire from Hangar Bay 3. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are currently under investigation as the ship continues on course for San Diego.

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The USS Kitty Hawk will have to remain in the Pacific longer than initially planned after its replacement, the USS George Washington, was damaged by a recent fire, a Navy official said.

The two carriers were to meet in Pearl Harbor next week for a "hull swap," with the newer George Washington taking over for the 47-year-old Kitty Hawk, the oldest active-duty warship in the fleet. About 900 Kitty Hawk sailors and the carrier’s air wing were expected to transfer to the George Washington.

But a fire broke out on the George Washington on May 22, while the carrier was off South America, prompting the Navy to postpone the ship’s trip to Hawaii, said Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Jeff Davis.

The George Washington is in San Diego for damage assessment and repairs. The fire lasted several hours, causing minor injuries to about 24 sailors and extreme heat in parts of the ship, according to Navy reports.

Decisions — like rescheduling the turnover with Kitty Hawk and whether the George Washington will be able to participate in the annual Rim of the Pacific exercise — will be based on a final damage assessment expected in about a week, said Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Capt. Scott Gureck.

"Everything hinges on the assessment," Gureck said. "In the most hopeful scenario, the GW will be on her way in short order. But if she has to stay in San Diego, the schedule will change."

In the meantime, instead of making its way stateside for eventual decommissioning, Kitty Hawk will "continue to conduct routine operations in the Pacific," Gureck said.

"She’s a full asset all the way until the day she decommissions," Gureck said of the ship, which left Yokosuka amid fanfare Wednesday after a decade in Japan.

Kitty Hawk’s homeport officially changes July 15 from Yokosuka to Bremerton, Wash., where the carrier is to be decommissioned in early 2009. But right now, the "ship is fully capable and ready for tasking," Gureck said.

The delay has Navy personnel specialists looking at the situation "very closely," as some of Kitty Hawk’s crewmembers have "critical report dates" for their next duty stations, Gureck said. Other sailors’ transfers might be "delayed," but it’s too soon to tell if orders will be affected, he said.

"We’re looking at the situation, but we still have a window of time," Gureck said. "We always tell our people: ‘Don’t make any plans that you can’t change.’ "

My son is on the GW and turns out a ventilation fan caught fire, so with ventilation system blowing the fire to many parts of the ship was a nightmare to pin down. but great training and hard work they knocked it down.
also of interest fire originated on deck 6 blocking evacutation of deck 7, and man hole was cut to evacuate those sailors.
when he called me they had just finished putting out the fire and he was extremly excited. biggest thing he’d ever been a part of in his young life.

080531-N-7282P-050 SAN DIEGO (May 31, 2008) A fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) caused damage to the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration shop. George Washington is in San Diego for damage assessment and repairs following an at sea fire on May 22. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Phillip Pavlovich (Released)

080525-N-0000N-001 SAN DIEGO (May 25, 2008) A fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington damaged electrical equipment in a space near the ventilation trunk for the auxiliary boiler. George Washington is in San Diego for damage assessment and repairs following the at sea fire on May 22, 2008. U.S. Navy photo (Released)

080525-N-0000N-007 SAN DIEGO (May 25, 2008) A fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) caused cable damage in a shipboard training classroom. George Washington is in San Diego for damage assessment and repairs following an at sea fire on May 22. U.S. Navy photo (Released)

080529-N-6903G-014 SAN DIEGO (May 29, 2008) A fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) damaged cables near the exhaust and supply ventilation trunk for the auxiliary boiler. George Washington is in San Diego for damage assessment and repairs following an at sea fire on May 22. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ted Green (Released)

nice pics , ive seen a few but not of that section
god what a mess