NationStates Jolt Archive

U.S. sailor dies in submarine accident
23 others injured as boat hits ocean floor
Sunday, January 9, 2005 Posted: 8:12 AM EST (1312 GMT)



(CNN) -- A U.S. sailor died Sunday, after sustaining injuries in a submarine accident a day earlier in the western Pacific, according to a statement from the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

The sailor -- whose identity has not been released -- was one of 24 wounded when the nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine USS San Francisco ran aground about 350 miles (560 km) south of Guam -- the nearest island -- while it was submerged, the Navy said.

Navy sources said the submarine was en route to Brisbane, Australia, for a port visit.

Lt. Adam Clampitt of the Pacific Fleet, speaking to CNN from his base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, said there was no damage to the nuclear reactor.

The submarine is slowly making its way back to its port in Guam, where it is expected to arrive Monday afternoon, Guam time. Guam is 15 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

The submarine did sustain some damage to its exterior.

"When the ship arrives back to its port, there will be an investigation to evaluate the extent of the damage," Clampitt said.

The accident happened Saturday around noon Guam time and a Navy medical team was immediately dispatched to the sub. The team arrived Sunday morning to treat the wounded, but the one sailor died that afternoon, Clampitt said.

"Anytime we lose a shipmate it's a great loss," he said, offering his condolences to the sailor's family and friends.

The medical team remains on board the submarine, as it slowly returns to Guam, to treat the other 23 injured crew members for a range of injuries including broken bones, cuts, bruises and a back injury.

None of the injuries are life-threatening, Clampitt said. (http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/09/nuclear.submarine/index.html)

this is a sad day, and i allready feal the lose of my shipmate.
i hope that a cause of the accident can be determined quickly.
my thoughts are with the familys of all my shipmates on that baot.

Not as bad as the Russian sub going down. Stuck in a stricken submarine with air going and knowing going outside means death.

this is a sad day, and i allready feal the lose of my shipmate.
i hope that a cause of the accident can be determined quickly.
my thoughts are with the familys of all my shipmates on that baot.


so one man in the military died... how about the thens of thousands of children dying every day from starvation and curable diseases?

so one man in the military died... how about the thens of thousands of children dying every day from starvation and curable diseases?
i dont know them, also then thier parrents should not have had them or thier govt should work better thats not my problem.
but there is a good chance i knew that sailor and that both saddens and scares me alittle. you must nit be in the military and most defenitly have never been a submariner or you would care. evey one of those men on that baot is my brother.

Its a dangerous work in the silent surface. I have a friend one of the smartest in Highschool, he works on thier reactors, smart guy and brave. Me I just a tanker 19 kilo,

so one man in the military died... how about the thens of thousands of children dying every day from starvation and curable diseases?

how about you not crap all over a thread with off-topic posts?


Anyways, someone's definitely getting canned for this.

It's a tragedy that this brave man has died. He enlisted to preserve and protect freedom. He has paid the ultimate sacrafice.

My prayers are with this poor soul.

Many heads will roll from this one. The CO's career is finished along with whoever the OOD was at the time of the accident.

RTW, do you know anyone on this boat? I mean this has to be really shaking up the whole submarine community where you're at. Also, for these injuries to occur, how fast would you think the boat was going?

What I don't get is that the media isn't covering this on TV. If a sub collides with a Japanese fishing boat and no Americans are hurt the media does nothing but bash the Navy. If Americans are killed they don't even cover it nor do they honor the fallen sailor.

Submarine Crew Member Dies
Story Number: NNS050109-01
Release Date: 1/9/2005 10:59:00 AM



From U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- A crew member died Jan. 9 (Guam time) aboard the Los Angeles-class submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) as a result of injuries sustained when the sub ran aground Jan. 8 (Guam time) south of Guam.

The name of the Sailor is being withheld pending a mandatory 24-hour period, which started when next of kin were notified.

Our sincerest condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of the Sailor.

Navy medical personnel were surged overnight and came aboard the submarine at the first opportunity this morning, but the one Sailor’s injuries were extremely serious. The medical personnel, including a doctor, remain aboard and are treating 23 other crew members for a range of injuries including broken bones, lacerations, bruises and a back injury.

The submarine remains on the surface and is continuing toward its homeport in Guam, escorted by the Coast Guard Cutter Galveston Island (WPB 1349) and USNS Stockham (T-AK 3017). The submarine is expected to arrive in port the afternoon of Jan. 10 (Guam time). USNS Kiska (T-AE 35) and military aircraft are also continuing to assist as required.

Further information will be released when available.

Questions may be referred to the U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Office at (808)471-3769. (http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=16561)
this artical is pretty much the same as the first but adds some info

U.S. sub docks after fatality
Monday, January 10, 2005 Posted: 3:05 AM EST (0805 GMT)



(CNN) -- A damaged U.S. nuclear submarine that ran aground three days ago in a deadly accident has docked at a U.S. naval base in Guam, a spokesman with the U.S. Pacific Fleet (USPF) said.

According to Lt. j.g. Adam Clampitt, the USS San Francisco was escorted to port by a variety of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels.

The submarine did "suffer some external damage," he said.

"The injured sailors are being treated at a U.S. military medical facility on Guam and will be transferred to other facilities -- possibly Pearl Harbor in Hawaii or Okinawa in Japan -- as necessary," Clampitt said.

According to a military statement, the injuries included "broken bones, lacerations, bruises and a back injury."

Twenty-four soldiers were injured in Friday's accident when the sub ran aground underwater about 350 miles (560 km) south of Guam -- the nearest land mass -- while it was conducting submerged operations, USPF said.

There were 137 crew on board at the time of the accident.

"Machinist Mate 2nd Class Joseph Allen Ashley, 24, of Akron, Ohio, died Sunday from injuries suffered during the accident," Clampitt said.

"The Navy continues to offer its sincerest condolences and prayers to the family and friends of Petty Officer Ashley."

Navy sources said the submarine was en route to Brisbane, Australia for a port visit at the time of the accident.

There was no damage to the sub's nuclear reactor, according to Clampitt.

The accident happened Friday and a Navy medical team was immediately dispatched to the remote location. (http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/10/nuclear.submarine.update/index.html) well they are safe in port now so it wont be long till we have some idea what happend.
my thoughts are with my lost enginering brother who is now with many others on eterinal patrol.

At least this wasn't as a bad as the Russian submarine disaster a few years ago...

Its a dangerous work in the silent surface. I have a friend one of the smartest in Highschool, he works on thier reactors, smart guy and brave. Me I just a tanker 19 kilo,An odd slip, as it's the Silent Service and 'Surface' is generally avoided by those guys ...

And if pedanting that isn't going to look callous enough (it isn't intended to be, but I know there'll be some who will not read the intended tone into it at first reading) I echo the view that one death in the submarine corps may not necessarily compare with certain other recent tragedies and atrocities, friendly fire incidents, car accidents, deaths from smoking-related illnesses, the countless number who fell off ladders and 'silly' things like that.

Still, that is probably because I have no links to the victim or his family. I do appreciate the feelings of the OP and others and (despite the words above) please do not misinterprate my attempt at objectivity for anything approaching animosity or (heaven forbid) 'satisfaction' with the incident. Though I cannot emotionally afford to expend more grief on this individual than any single one of (say) the victims of the Tsunami, or of the flooding in Carlisle (UK) or of someone killed in the Sudan or of any single passenger in the destroyed Russian airliners or of any victim of Sars, I certainly do not grieve less for the loss of the submariner's life. I hope that you understand that, much as I will understand that when a colleague or relative of mine passes away you will have no more a special reason than for the next (perhaps nameless) person to die of a parachuting accident or from food poisoning or merely of old age...

A quote from everyone's 'favourite' communist leader (Jo Stalin) is perhaps apt at this point... "A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic." And that quote is both true and false in a myriad number of ways.

On a final note, I actively perceive that the sailors who work the submarines (of all nationalities) do a very dangerous job and yet (with the exception of certain recent mass tragedies and other problems affecting their brothers in other nations' subsea forces) usually manage to work very safely. That one has died means a lot, in such circumstances. I'm not even in the right country to demand 'justice' for the incident, but I wish all those involved the best for obtaining the best recompense possible, namely that lessons are learnt, errors are corrected and appropriate (and suitably proportional) blame assigned accordingly. Barring the impossible task of reversing the loss of life so incurred, I think that is all that can be hoped for, and the minimum that should be acceptible.


(It is so hard to properly convey the manner with which I intend this message. Despite very careful attempts at wording I am acutely aware that flames are probably even now being stoked up in preparation for firing in my direction. Before letting them loose, please do try to consider that the above retoric is not in any way an attack on anyone's personal feelings.)

What I don't get is that the media isn't covering this on TV.

Hmm, CNN is print now?

My condolences to the sailor's family, friends, and mates.

Officials: U.S. submarine hit undersea mountain
From Mike Mount
CNN Washington Bureau

Monday, January 10, 2005 Posted: 3:24 PM EST (2024 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy submarine accident that killed one sailor and injured 24 others occurred when the vessel -- traveling at high speed -- hit an undersea mountain head-on, Pentagon officials said Monday.

Saturday's accident caused part of the sonar dome, which is part of the submarine's nose, to flood, officials said.

The commander of the USS San Francisco, Kevin Mooney, has not been relieved of duty while the investigation of the accident continues.

Mooney could be relieved of duty if officials determine there is enough evidence that the accident could have been averted.

The investigation will look at the sub's speed, its location and whether the undersea formation was on navigational charts, officials said.

The submarine was traveling in excess of 30 knots -- about 35 mph -- when its nose hit the undersea formation head-on, officials said.

The nuclear submarine docked Monday at a U.S. naval base in Guam, a spokesman with the U.S. Pacific Fleet said.

The San Francisco was escorted to port by U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels, according to Lt. j.g. Adam Clampitt. The submarine suffered "some external damage," he said.

"The injured sailors are being treated at a U.S. military medical facility on Guam and will be transferred to other facilities -- possibly Pearl Harbor in Hawaii or Okinawa in Japan -- as necessary," Clampitt said.

According to a military statement, the injuries included "broken bones, lacerations, bruises and a back injury."

The accident occurred about 350 miles (560 kilometers) south of Guam, the U.S. Navy said. There were 137 crew on board at the time of the accident.

Machinist Mate 2nd Class Joseph Allen Ashley, 24, of Akron, Ohio, died Sunday from injuries suffered in the accident, Clampitt said. "The Navy continues to offer its sincerest condolences and prayers to the family and friends of Petty Officer Ashley," he said.

Navy sources said the submarine was en route to Brisbane, Australia, for a port visit at the time of the accident. There was no damage to the sub's nuclear reactor, according to Clampitt. (http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/10/nuclear.submarine.update/index.html)
well now we know and going that fast i can see how so meny shipmates were injured

Hmm, CNN is print now?

Their website has been covering it a lot, but their cable news channel hasn't covered it much

How in these modern times do boats "run aground?" What happened to sonar?

How in these modern times do boats "run aground?" What happened to sonar?
SONAR finds air spaces, an underwater mountain won't have air in it.

so one man in the military died... how about the thens of thousands of children dying every day from starvation and curable diseases?

If you feel nothing for one, I doubt you feel anything for thousands.

This is indeed sad. My condolences to the man's family.

SONAR finds air spaces, an underwater mountain won't have air in it.

Hitting a giant rock still sounds pretty farfetched. Subs have managed not to hit things in the past.

Hitting a giant rock still sounds pretty farfetched with our supposively invincible American tech. Subs have managed not to hit things in the past.
Not quite true, during the Cold War, there was 1 or 2 collisions a year between Soviet and US subs.

Many of the charts used today are old and were made from subpar technology.

I know the USS Seawolf SSN-575 collided with a mountain. She was taken out of service for some time. The USS Scorpion replaced it in war games and ended up sinking. The cause of her demise is not yet known.

so one man in the military died... how about the thens of thousands of children dying every day from starvation and curable diseases?

You are an evil person who has no compassion. Please do not taint our world any further by having offspring. I hope you realize that people in the military are the ones out there protecting your sorry hide and keeping it free from oppression. Try thinking about what they sacrifice for you and all you hold dear next time you try speaking out against them.

Not quite true, during the Cold War, there was 1 or 2 collisions a year between Soviet and US subs.

Many of the charts used today are old and were made from subpar technology.

I know the USS Seawolf SSN-575 collided with a mountain. She was taken out of service for some time. The USS Scorpion replaced it in war games and ended up sinking. The cause of her demise is not yet known.

Sounds to me like the Navy is made up of a bunch of idiots.

Sounds to me like the Navy is made up of a bunch of idiots.
Why don't you just STFU? I'd like to ask how much you know about subs or their operations? Probably not much.

Besides, nuc officers all are nuclear physics majors in college. The enlisted men all have to have knowledge of calculus and physics. Even the lowest ranking enlisted man has a higher IQ than the average person.

Sounds to me like the Navy is made up of a bunch of idiots.

And I wonder how many other morons there are out there like yourself

Ok, this is how a submarine runs aground.

First, the bottom of the sea is not anything like land. It has way more variance and relief.
Second, the earthquake that cause the recent tsunami has permanently rearranged the ocean floor. The US and foreign governments are reporting that whole islands have been shifted up to 20m (66ft). This renders the already outdated sea charts of the US Navy even more useless.

Third, try navigating a submarine. It ain't easy. Try this though: Time how long it takes you to walk across the room you are in. Go back to where you started. Blindfold yourself, as sonar won't detect your desk or table or whatever. Cover your ears. Now walk across the room the exact same way in the exact same time. Hit something? I thought so.

Third, try navigating a submarine. It ain't easy. Try this though: Time how long it takes you to walk across the room you are in. Go back to where you started. Blindfold yourself, as sonar won't detect your desk or table or whatever. Cover your ears. Now walk across the room the exact same way in the exact same time. Hit something? I thought so.

It's even worse than that. The whole seafloor hasn't been 3D mapped yet. As for the navigation method, try driving your car with the windshields painted over, no active RADAR to find cars around you, and determining your position with an old map that doesn't have all obstacles mapped, a ruler, and a stopwatch.

this is a sad day, and i allready feal the lose of my shipmate.
i hope that a cause of the accident can be determined quickly.
my thoughts are with the familys of all my shipmates on that baot.

So do I.

Lord God, our power evermore,
Whose arm doth reach the ocean floor,
Dive with our men beneath the sea;
Traverse the depths protectively.
O hear us when we pray, and keep
Them safe from peril in the deep.
-- Navy Hymn

How in these modern times do boats "run aground?" What happened to sonar?
you would need to go active sence a mountin dosnt make noise

you would need to go active sence a mountin dosnt make noise

Correct. But going active defeats the purpose of attack submarines. It reveals their location. Something that is VERY bad for submarines to do. They rely on stealth to go places, booming a high frequency, high power, muliti tonal package is not very conducive to remaining silent.

Sounds to me like the Navy is made up of a bunch of idiots.

I'm not going to as nice as IDF. I'm just going to tell you to:

FUCK OFF AND DIE.

You better pray to god that you are never on a ship that runs into trouble out at sea. Because there is a 99.9% chance that you will be rescued by some nations (90% chance of it being the US Navy) Naval Service. I would like to see you say that to the sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln Battle Group as they fly rescue/relief missions 24 hours a day; 7 days a week into Sumatra.

The US Navy was the first in the area and that Battle Group of 5-7 ships continues to do more than ALL the countries in Europe COMBINED!!!

So just do us a favor:

Grab your neck and YANK till you hear a LOUD POP!!!

That means your head has been removed from your ass!!!

Or go to your doctors office and have the procedure known as a "Plexiotomy" performed. That is the operation to have a Plexiglass window placed in your lower abdomin so you can see where your going 'cuz your head is so far up your ass.

(A 22 Year Active Duty U.S. Navy Vet)

Sounds to me like the Navy is made up of a bunch of idiots.

One more thing:

Everyone of the men and women in the military service of the US and other countries have more honor, courage, commitment, integrity, conviction and intelligence than you, you FUCKING PISSANT!!!!

Why do you be half the man your momma is and say that to the face of one instead of hiding behind a screen name.

You chickenshit, motherfucker!

Sounds to me like the Navy is made up of a bunch of idiots.

And you're not?

(A 22 Year Active Duty U.S. Navy Vet)
What rank did you come out as? Chief or Master Chief I'm guessing.

I'm going into NROTC this year and am going to pursue a career on nuc subs.

What rank did you come out as? Chief or Master Chief I'm guessing.

I'm going into NROTC this year and am going to pursue a career on nuc subs.

Retired as a CPO.

Bit of advice when you get to your boat. You'll be a junior officer, new, green...etc. ASK THE CHIEF!! He will be your greatest asset, learn from him. You'll be in charge, but don't discount his expirence and knowledge, esp about the boat and the guys.

Oh...

And WELCOME ABOARD, SHIPMATE!!!

Retired as a CPO.

Bit of advice when you get to your boat. You'll be a junior officer, new, green...etc. ASK THE CHIEF!! He will be your greatest asset, learn from him. You'll be in charge, but don't discount his expirence and knowledge, esp about the boat and the guys.

Oh...

And WELCOME ABOARD, SHIPMATE!!!
Thanks, I've already heard that the chiefs are the people to listen to. I know that they've been around for at least a decade and in most cases even longer than that. NCO's are the true heart of any part of the military. Even a future officer like me has to acknowledge that.

What's the matter Utracia, haven't got the gonads to defend your position?