U.S. Navy cruiser, submarine collide

[nhboy]

Link to original source.

"(Reuters) - A U.S. Navy Aegis cruiser collided with a nuclear-powered submarine during exercises off the East Cost on Saturday, collapsing the sonar dome on the cruiser and possibly causing other damage, but no injuries, U.S. Navy officials said.

The collision between the USS San Jacinto and the nuclear-powered submarine USS Montpelier occurred about 3:30 p.m., the Navy said in a statement. The Navy declined to say where off the East Coast the accident occurred.

A Navy official said the watch team aboard the San Jacinto saw a periscope rise from the water about 100 to 200 yards (meters) ahead of the vessel during the exercise. The cruiser ordered "all back," but the San Jacinto still collided with the submarine.

The collision caused the collapse of the cruiser's sonar dome, a bulbous-shaped device on the bow of the ship beneath the water line, the Navy official said on condition of anonymity."

 

[b23hqb]

Stuff happens when you are playing real close quarter games to improve your game.

That sonar dome is going to take some real drydock repair time, for sure.

This could be "acceptable damage" monetarily, but probably not acceptable to either or both of the skippers careers.

 

[CrashTest]

Stuff happens when you are playing real close quarter games to improve your game.

That sonar dome is going to take some real drydock repair time, for sure.

This could be "acceptable damage" monetarily, but probably not acceptable to either or both of the skippers careers.

Yep. Obviously I don't know what happened, but even if the crash was the result of a system issue or an equipment failure, the military will always spin it to make it human error. It's easier to "fix" human error than to admit a system issue or equipment failure.

 

[Baja28]

My first thought is the sub commander erred. He should know where surface contacts are and their heading. But we don't (and prolly won't) know the whole story.

 

[desertrat]

My first thought is the sub commander erred. He should know where surface contacts are and their heading. But we don't (and prolly won't) know the whole story.

You would think. And why wasn't the cruiser pinging? I remember one a few years back that came up right under a fishing boat by Hawaii I think. Sunk it. Not a small boat either.

 

[Baja28]

You would think. And why wasn't the cruiser pinging? I remember one a few years back that came up right under a fishing boat by Hawaii I think. Sunk it. Not a small boat either.

Wasn't that an "unfriendly" "fishing" boat?

 

[b23hqb]

Yep. Obviously I don't know what happened, but even if the crash was the result of a system issue or an equipment failure, the military will always spin it to make it human error. It's easier to "fix" human error than to admit a system issue or equipment failure.

I have to agree with your take on "fix human error" part - but officers overseeing the investigation know that they could be brought into the fracas as well.

Somebody has to be on the end of the findings and report - even if both skippers were following procedure, somebody was too close, maybe playing a bit outside the rules, etc.

Equipment failure - possible, but on both surface and sub seems unlikely. If it was an equipment problem, you know the manufacturer will fight it, and the PMS records of both ships will be very closely scrutinized, for sure. Along with training records of all operators and supervisors/officers.

The buck has to stop somewhere.

I just wish our current CinC would follow that procedure as well, in all aspects of his admin.

 

[desertrat]

Wasn't that an "unfriendly" "fishing" boat?

No, I went and looked it up later. It was a Japanese boat used to train people to work on fishing boats. How odd, I thought you went out and learned by doing. Anyway it had a bunch of high school kids on it. WTH they were doing way over by Hawaii I have no clue.

 

[Larry Gude]

The collision between the USS San Jacinto and the nuclear-powered submarine USS Montpelier occurred about 3:30 p.m., the Navy said in a statement. The Navy declined to say where off the East Coast the accident occurred.
"

"If we knew the answer to that one son, well, they wouldn't have collided now would they?"

 

[NTNG]

"If we knew the answer to that one son, well, they wouldn't have collided now would they?"

Awesome answer!