Isn’t computerized “fly by wire” great? One bad sensor and the vehicle is history. In this case going into “limp mode” was a really bad thing...
It’s even better if an enemy manages to sneak in a few lines of code.
Ask Michael Hastings...
“Isn’t computerized ‘fly by wire’ great?”
If humans lose direct control, they might disappear.
Not getting the true story, whatever it is. No critical system like that would have less than three independent sensors, so a single failure would be over-ruled by the other two. Maybe more, distributed the whole length of the hull.
Software malfunction seems a lot more likely. Or enemy action.
This would never happen before modern computers.
Oh wait...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Thresher_(SSN-593)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Scorpion_(SSN-589)
Physical, analog control is a great backup.