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.

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On the Net:

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

AP-ES-01-08-05 0343EST

[null and void]

What the hell is on that sail? ;^)

They got lei'd...

[Miss Behave]

My prayers are going up too, 68-69.

[judicial meanz]

Please read post 394:


Wonder if there is anything we can do to help those guys?
Anyone want to try and get something going to help them out?

Any ideas?

[blackie]

Prayers on the way.

[El Gran Salseron]

Yeah, we studied Cmdr. Gilmore in sub school, New London.

I also saw the Ward Bond/John Wayne movie. :-)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I was thinking that "running aground" might just be a cover story.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Sub's have (several) depth meters (fathometers) which are a "miniature" sonar - aimed in a tight pattern straight down to reflect noise off the bottom.

So, like any sonar they make noise, and "might" have been secured in a tight tactical situation where somebody could hear the beam reflections off of the bottom, or parts of the beam itself.

They're relatively hard to pick up by another sub or surface ship nearby though.

If they knew they were in shallow/unknown water, then they were going too fast to stop/turn/track the fathometer if grounding caused that much damage: It would be like driving at 60 mph in a parking lot. You can't stop safely if you're going that fast to not follow the fathometer as a safety device for shallow water/reefs.

Again - The combination of HIGH SPEED and SHALLOW WATER was the killer here: So securing the fathometer in shallow water doesn't make sense (unless they were very, very close to somebody - but then why were they at high speed?

And if it were turned off because they "thought" they were in deep water, then where did the mountain come from, or why were they off course at high speed? (Granted, submerged mountains have been missed before on the charts!)

[fastattacksailor]

Was he referring to the Tsunami

I don't think he was referring to a boat---at least I hope not.

But, I'm still nursing my coffee...

:-)

[El Gran Salseron]

Even in the 60s.....just before we got underway we would have to pull the fuses to the transducer. No pinging underway.....only in port for testing. The fathometer had a cover over the power switch and only sonarmen were allowed to turn it on.

[El Gran Salseron]

Yeah, he was referring to the tsunami. That was cleared up in a later post, thank you.

[battlegearboat]

Okay, here it is.

A LST is scheduled to withdraw from the beach at high tide.

For whatever reason, the LST misses the tide and is beached until next high tide.

Or, the skipper runs fast aground on a narrow river and needs tug assistance.

I'm getting tired of this discussion and having my eyewitness accounts being questioned. I was there and saw what can happen when a skipper makes this critical mistake. It affects the whole squadron (COMLANSHIPRONTWO, ...in my case in Vietnam). Schedules have to be redrawn, time and money are wasted and lives are put at risk...the young skipper is always instantly relieved. Many lives are affected by a grounding and nothing good comes of it.

So everybody can just take a flying leap...I'm so sick of lubbers blubbering back at me.

[Robert A Cook PE]

For your information: This is a link to a photo showing part of the "structure" behind the sonar dome, in front of the pressure hull of the sub.

www.npt.nuwc.navy.mil/ Seneca/hlc/

(Not quite a 688 class, but its similar and useable.)

The fiberglass sonar dome covers up these pieces so the water flows smoothly around them: The sonar dome is "free-flooding and is always full of water when submerged.

The watertight "sonar sphere" is inside the spherical-looking structure on top: it has the hundreds of cable connections from each sonar transducer, and you get into the sphere from inside the sub through a small watertight hatch. The hatch is closed at sea.

[fastattacksailor]

If there are some dead---or even seriously injured--they are gonna be needing prayer for one.


Also, can we find out if any of them have family near where we live---if they do, we can go see if they need anything.

I'm in NYC right now and am on the phone to some buddies at SUBASE NLON. They said they would find out what, if anything,is needed right now.

I'll shout when I get an answer.


As for money---how do you go about doing that? I'm sure that if they accept dontions they will likely have Navy Federal CU set something up.

[CindyDawg]

There are no women in the Navy. Just sailors.

[fastattacksailor]

ah!

the GRP!

[Robert A Cook PE]

Navy Relief Office, Guam.

Navy Relief, Pearl Harbor or San Diego Subase- if that's their homeport. (Not the regular navy base NR, the SubBase would be in a separate office most likely, since the boats dock in a different area.)

No other way of getting to the crew/families other than those offices.

This is a link showing the sub's hull and sonar dome from the outside.

http://www.fxmodels.com/submodels.shtml

[CindyDawg]

Yall have an update on injuries?

[fastattacksailor]

Good point! I'd gather that COMSUBPAC will set something up---I'll keep an eye on the website for that.

I really do not like the looks of this----SUBASE is like a funeral parlor right now--so say my buddies.

[Axenolith]

Active pinging into the base approach may be a no-no...