Do Not Navigate A Nuclear Sub While Jamming On IPod

[twyacht]

Somebody's gonna really be in trouble.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2926952/iPranged-a-submarine.html


A US nuclear sub rammed another ship causing nearly £60MILLION damage - while its navigator was listening to his iPod.

Sailors aboard the USS Hartford had also rigged up loudspeakers so they could play MUSIC on duty, an official report found last night.


Sonar operators and radio men were missing from their posts. Others drove the attack sub while "with one hand on the controls and their shoes off", it said.

The report slammed the navigator, who was listening to his iPod in his cabin while revising for an exam at the time.

The captain, Commander Ryan Brookhart, was relieved of his duties after the Navy found that more than 30 errors, - including "an informal atmosphere" and "a weak command" - led to the "avoidable accident".

Pictures at link.

Ooooooops, my bad,....

[alfsauve]

Ah, and our government want to pass laws against driving while texting.   Clean your own house first, I say.

[Timothy]

From Navy Times..

"Repair cost for sub Hartford nearly $87M

By Lance M. Bacon - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 8, 2010 13:29:00 EDT

The Navy will pay another $36.6 million to repair the fast attack submarine Hartford after a collision March 20, 2009, with the amphibious transport dock New Orleans. This will bring the total repair cost to $86.9 million.

General Dynamics Electric Boat was awarded the contract April 1. It will cover the final fabrication and installation of the hull patch, bridge access trunk, port retractable bow plane and the sail. The work, which will be performed primarily in Groton, Conn., is scheduled to wrap up by November.

This is the fourth contract awarded for Hartford’s repair work. Though the contracts total $139.2 million, the company was able to do the work for less than estimated, according to Bob Hamilton, Electric Boat spokesman. The previous three contracts totaled $102.6 million, but most of those funds expired Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

The Los Angeles-class sub collided with New Orleans in the Strait of Hormuz. New Orleans, which was on its maiden deployment, suffered a 16-by-18-foot gash in its hull that ripped open a fuel tank and two ballast tanks and required $2.3 million in repairs.

Cmdr. Ryan Brookhart was relieved of command of Hartford on April 14, 2009, due to loss of confidence. A Judge Advocate General Manual investigation found an informal atmosphere, crew complacency, a “weak” command and inferior submariner skills led to the “avoidable” accident. Specifically, the navigator was listening to his iPod during a critical evolution, watchstanders were known to sleep on the job, and stereo speakers were rigged for music in the radio room."

[Timothy]

BTW, it's not the first time the Hartford has smacked into something, I think she was run aground back in 2002-2003 sometime.

[Walter45Auto]

My dad told me about a sub while he was in that played chicken with a Russian Sub. Put a 40 ft crack in the hull. Can't remember of it was the one he was on or not.

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

Over the decades of the Silent Service, there have been numerous collisions that never saw newsprint.  Most of those will never be admitted to by either nation involved.

This was by far, the worst incident of really poor judgment on the part of this boats command structure.  It takes quite a special man to even be considered for a submarine command.  This guys future in the military is over and his prospects in the civilian world are bleak.

[billt]

Didn't one slam into an underwater mountain a few years back?  Bill T.

[Timothy]

Yup...

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/10/nuclear.submarine.update/index.html

[tombogan03884]

French and English subs collided in the Channel not to long ago as well.

[seeker_two]

French and English subs collided in the Channel not to long ago as well.

I remember that.....and France surrendered shortly after that, too.....