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'Complacency' Faulted in US Nuke Sub Crash

'Weak' command, lax standards prevailed aboard USS Hartford

By Will McCahill,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 18, 2009 10:00 PM CST
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(Newser) – US Navy investigators are pinning blame for the March collision between a nuclear-powered submarine and another Navy ship on lax atmosphere and “weak” command aboard the USS Hartford, where sailors slept while they were supposed to be on watch, and the radio room was rigged up with music speakers. The report on the Persian Gulf incident, obtained by Navy Times, deems the wreck completely “avoidable” and assigns blame entirely to the sub.

The USS Hartford in Bahrain on March 21, 2009, after the collision.
The USS Hartford in Bahrain on March 21, 2009, after the collision.   (AP Photo)
The USS Hartford is seen March 20, 2009, in the Persian Gulf after a collision with the amphibious transport dock ship.
The USS Hartford is seen March 20, 2009, in the Persian Gulf after a collision with the amphibious transport dock ship.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 10 comments
riffran
Nov 19, 2009 10:28 AM CST
have you ever been through "bubblehead " training there amazed?....Those "halfwits" as you so easily call them, have extensive and highly technical training...from the engine-men, to the sonar tech, to the nuclear plant ops, and even the cooks have to be aware of the ramifications of doing their profession in an enclosed and at times pressurized enviroment....I doubt the reasons behind the collision were as simple as so stated
riffran
Nov 19, 2009 10:20 AM CST
complacency is the mother of all F ups...even the best and brightest can screw up if not paying full attention
Chudluv
Nov 19, 2009 7:19 AM CST
I agree with you...
US • Science • World

 
investigation • Persian Gulf • Freedom of Information Act • US Navy • collisions • Strait of Hormuz • USS Hartford • USS New Orleans • complacency • nuclear-powered submarine

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