Crew Mistakes Led to Sinking of New Zealand Navy Ship

Wellington: An inquiry has revealed that a series of crew mistakes caused a New Zealand navy ship to crash into a reef near Samoa, resulting in a fire and subsequent sinking. This information comes from the preliminary findings of a military Court of Inquiry released on Friday.

The crew of the HMNZS Manawanui did not realize that the ship's autopilot was engaged. Instead, they mistakenly thought there was a different mechanical failure. The crew failed to check whether the ship was under manual control as it continued on a path toward the shore, according to a summary from the inquiry's first report. The complete report has not been made available to the public yet.

Fortunately, all 75 personnel aboard were able to evacuate safely as the ship sank approximately 1.6 kilometers (about one mile) off Upolu, Samoa, in October. The HMNZS Manawanui was one of only nine vessels in New Zealand's navy and was the first loss at sea for the country since World War II.

Following the sinking, the Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, ordered a Court of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the incident. "The direct cause of the grounding has been determined as a series of human errors which meant the ship's autopilot was not disengaged when it should have been," Golding stated during a press briefing in Auckland on Friday. He added, "The person in control should have instinctively checked the panel to confirm whether the autopilot was engaged or not."

The crew members believed that their inability to change the ship's direction was due to a failure in the thruster control system. Golding further identified a range of contributing factors including inadequate training, planning, supervision, and readiness assessments.

The Court of Inquiry is scheduled to continue its investigations until at least the first quarter of next year. Following this inquiry, a separate disciplinary process will commence due to the identification of human error as the cause of the incident.

Three crew members who were on the bridge during the incident are likely to be part of this disciplinary process. These include the officer in control of the ship, a supervising officer, and the ship's commanding officer. However, Golding did not disclose their names.

Golding reassured the public, stating, "I want to assure the public of New Zealand that we will learn from this situation and that it is my responsibility, as Chief of Navy, to restore your trust." Following the sinking, New Zealand's Defense Minister expressed strong criticism against misogynistic comments made online towards the ship's captain due to her gender.

The HMNZS Manawanui was a specialized dive and hydrographic vessel that had been in service since 2019, and it was conducting surveys of the reef when the incident occurred. Concerns arose in nearby villages about ecological damage from the ship's diesel fuel leaking into the ocean. However, New Zealand officials reported that most of the fuel burned off during the fire, and no environmental harm has been detected thus far.

Current assessments show a "persistent slow leak" of fuel into the sea, which divers are actively monitoring. Rear Admiral Golding mentioned that specialized equipment is set to be shipped from New Zealand to Samoa shortly to assist in removing fuel and other contaminants from the wrecked ship. At this time, there have been no announced plans to remove the wreck from the reef.

Golding acknowledged the incident's impact on the navy's reputation, stating, "This has affected our reputation. We take full responsibility for it, and we will make necessary corrections and learn from this event."

crew, sinking, inquiry