Friday, May 31, 2019

Navy submarine “San Francisco”, after crashing into a rock underwater. The accident occurred in January 2015, 364 miles Southeast of Guam in the Pacific.


9 comments:

  1. So apparently, despite billions of dollars, the Navy still hasn't put GPS and GoogleEarth onto nuclear submarines?

    One can but hope that this sort of thing ended a few naval careers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can't use GPS at depth, but the subs' Inertial Navigation Systems are world-class. The Navy determined proper navigational procedures were not followed. The seamount that it struck at flank speed at a depth of 525' did not appear on the chart being used, but other charts showed that discolored water was seen at that location, suggesting the presence of a seamount. The area near the Caroline Islands was not well charted, so a lot more caution was in order. The captain was removed from command and received a letter of reprimand. 6 others received non-judicial punishment, reduction in rank, and letters of reprimand.

      Delete
  2. I believe one crewman was killed as a result of the collision. Lets not forget operating a submarine at depth is risky.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Some sea mounts also grow over time...underwater volcanos and such. Like Mt Lasson under the ocean

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, modern inertial nav is fantastic, providing it was correctly set in port before departure. The current spate of mishaps in the Navy point to a larger problem, deterioration in training standards and/or equipment maintenance.

    ReplyDelete
  5. While a regretable event it's ample evidence that the boat was very well built. Hitting solid rock at speed (flank speed for a modern sub is NOT slow) at depth and not sinking is proof of design and manufacturing process.

    ReplyDelete