Report on USS Greeneville - Ehime Maru collision

Bill Nichols · 10-20-05, 10:12 AM

The NTSB has released its report on the USS Greeneville - Ehime Maru collision. I strongly recommend reading it, as it gives an excellent description of what goes on aboard a US nuclear sub while underway.

Link here:

http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2005/MAB0501.htm

Oberon · 10-20-05, 11:01 AM

Good link Bill, now reading it.

Psycluded · 10-20-05, 01:40 PM

Ugh... the way it reads, the CO and Officer of the Deck were simply not communicating well with the sonar room. The instant the signal-to-noise ratios rose, it should have been reported, so Fire Control's attention could be called to it. TFOW could have then determined that his range estimates were incorrect and reported it to the conn.

Bad case of miscommunication, resulted in some deaths. The skipper is taking responsibility, as he should, though.

Terrax · 10-21-05, 07:40 AM

Excellent read Bill, thanks. Has a similar report on the events of the San Francisco crash been published?

Bill Nichols · 10-21-05, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terrax

Excellent read Bill, thanks. Has a similar report on the events of the San Francisco crash been published?

Nope. Because the San Francisco crash didn't involve any civilians, the NTSB doesn't have jurisdiction. The Navy isn't likely to make its internal investigation public...

Kapitan · 10-21-05, 06:41 PM

and thats the silent service for you

Konovalov · 10-22-05, 08:54 AM

What an interesting read this report is. Only just started to go thru it but this is a great find Bill. Funny coincidence that both the ship and LAX class submarine were built in 1996.

tycho102 · 10-22-05, 09:12 AM

That is an amazing article. Thanks for pointing it out, Bill!

I've only read about 2/3's through it, but I have to say that, although it was a horrible disaster, it was also a f*cking amazing feat!

If you're out of torpedos and you need to drop a boat, this is how you do it. And here they hit this boat, out of all the square kilometers in the ocean, without "significant" damange to the sub. That is like trying to shoot a gnat with a rifle from 400 meters. Just incredible. Terrible luck on the humane side, and amazing "luck" on the Silent Hunter 3 side.

If the OOD had waited just ten seconds before ordering the ballast blow, or if the civilians had just been ten seconds late in turning the valves, it would have been a near miss rather than a perfect hit.

The ocean is a big damn place, even 50km off the coast. If you knew exactly what you were doing, I bet you couldn't hit a boat (on a perpendicular course, at that!) during a ballast-blow, at periscope depth, 50% of the time. Even less to do it aft of the sail. And thousands of times less to do it unintentionally. Most of us struggle to hit a boat with a torpedo, on purpose.

This was just a horrible accident, like Apollo 13 or Titanic or being struck by lightning. It's terrible, but amazing. Very interesting to read.

Bill Nichols · 10-22-05, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tycho102

That is an amazing article. Thanks for pointing it out, Bill!

I've only read about 2/3's through it, but I have to say that, although it was a horrible disaster, it was also a f*cking amazing feat!

If you're out of torpedos and you need to drop a boat, this is how you do it. And here they hit this boat, out of all the square kilometers in the ocean, without "significant" damange to the sub. That is like trying to shoot a gnat with a rifle from 400 meters. Just incredible. Terrible luck on the humane side, and amazing "luck" on the Silent Hunter 3 side.

If the OOD had waited just ten seconds before ordering the ballast blow, or if the civilians had just been ten seconds late in turning the valves, it would have been a near miss rather than a perfect hit.

The ocean is a big damn place, even 50km off the coast. If you knew exactly what you were doing, I bet you couldn't hit a boat (on a perpendicular course, at that!) during a ballast-blow, at periscope depth, 50% of the time. Even less to do it aft of the sail. And thousands of times less to do it unintentionally. Most of us struggle to hit a boat with a torpedo, on purpose.

This was just a horrible accident, like Apollo 13 or Titanic or being struck by lightning. It's terrible, but amazing. Very interesting to read.

You have an interesting perspective...

Bubblehead555 · 10-22-05, 05:08 PM

hehe, the 'little boat, big ocean' theory of going to PD in a heavy contact area ... get the guys on the left going left, guys on the right going right ... worked for me everytime.

10-20-05, 10:12 AM	#1
Bill Nichols Master of Defense Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,502 Downloads: 125 Uploads: 0	Report on USS Greeneville - Ehime Maru collision The NTSB has released its report on the USS Greeneville - Ehime Maru collision. I strongly recommend reading it, as it gives an excellent description of what goes on aboard a US nuclear sub while underway. Link here: http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2005/MAB0501.htm __________________ My Dangerous Waters website:

10-20-05, 01:40 PM	#3
Psycluded A-ganger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pacific Theater Posts: 71 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Ugh... the way it reads, the CO and Officer of the Deck were simply not communicating well with the sonar room. The instant the signal-to-noise ratios rose, it should have been reported, so Fire Control's attention could be called to it. TFOW could have then determined that his range estimates were incorrect and reported it to the conn. Bad case of miscommunication, resulted in some deaths. The skipper is taking responsibility, as he should, though. __________________ Psycluded - Dad. Gamer. Programmer Captain, USS Drum (SS-228), Gato class US Submarine

10-21-05, 06:41 PM	#6
Kapitan Sub Test Pilot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK + Canada Posts: 7,130 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 7	and thats the silent service for you __________________ DONT FORGET if you like a post to nominate it by using the blue diamond Find out about Museum Ships here: https://www.museumships.us/ Flickr for all my pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/ Navy general board articles: https://www.navygeneralboard.com/author/aegis/

10-22-05, 08:54 AM	#7
Konovalov Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks, UK Posts: 2,811 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	What an interesting read this report is. Only just started to go thru it but this is a great find Bill. Funny coincidence that both the ship and LAX class submarine were built in 1996. __________________ "In a Christian context, sexuality is traditionally seen as a consequence of the Fall, but for Muslims, it is an anticipation of paradise. So I can say, I think, that I was validly converted to Islam by a teenage French Jewish nudist." Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Murad (Timothy Winter)

10-22-05, 05:08 PM	#10
Bubblehead555 Swabbie Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Omaha, Nebraska - USA Posts: 12 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	hehe, the 'little boat, big ocean' theory of going to PD in a heavy contact area ... get the guys on the left going left, guys on the right going right ... worked for me everytime. __________________ Bubblehead DBF Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of all who threaten it.

10-20-05, 11:01 AM	#2
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Good link Bill, now reading it.

10-21-05, 07:40 AM	#4
Terrax Warmonger Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: WV USA Posts: 101 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Excellent read Bill, thanks. Has a similar report on the events of the San Francisco crash been published?

10-22-05, 09:12 AM	#8
tycho102 Ace of the Deep Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,100 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	That is an amazing article. Thanks for pointing it out, Bill! I've only read about 2/3's through it, but I have to say that, although it was a horrible disaster, it was also a fcking amazing feat! If you're out of torpedos and you need to drop a boat, this is how you do it. And here they hit this boat, out of all the square kilometers in the ocean, without "significant" damange to the sub. That is like trying to shoot a gnat with a rifle from 400 meters. Just incredible. Terrible luck on the humane side, and amazing "luck" on the Silent Hunter 3 side. If the OOD had waited just ten seconds* before ordering the ballast blow, or if the civilians had just been ten seconds late in turning the valves, it would have been a near miss rather than a perfect hit. The ocean is a big damn place, even 50km off the coast. If you knew exactly what you were doing, I bet you couldn't hit a boat (on a perpendicular course, at that!) during a ballast-blow, at periscope depth, 50% of the time. Even less to do it aft of the sail. And thousands of times less to do it unintentionally. Most of us struggle to hit a boat with a torpedo, on purpose. This was just a horrible accident, like Apollo 13 or Titanic or being struck by lightning. It's terrible, but amazing. Very interesting to read.

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