Crew Mistakes Led to the Sinking of New Zealand Navy Ship

Wellington: Mistakes made by the crew of a New Zealand navy ship resulted in the vessel colliding with a reef off the coast of Samoa, leading to its sinking and subsequent fire. This conclusion comes from the preliminary findings of a military Court of Inquiry released recently.

The crew did not realize that the autopilot was engaged, instead believing that a separate issue had caused problems with the ship. They failed to check if the HMNZS Manawanui was under manual control as it inadvertently continued on its course toward land. This information was detailed in a summary of the inquiry's initial report, though the complete report is not yet available.

Fortunately, all 75 individuals on board managed to evacuate safely as the ship sank approximately 1.6 kilometers (one mile) from Upolu's coast in Samoa last October. The Manawanui was one of only nine ships in New Zealand's navy and marked the first loss of a naval vessel for the country since World War II.

At the time of the incident, the exact cause was not known, prompting the Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, to initiate a Court of Inquiry for further investigation.

"The direct cause of the grounding has been determined to be a series of human errors that resulted in the autopilot not being turned off when it needed to be," Golding explained to reporters in Auckland. He emphasized that the person in control should have instinctively checked the autopilot status on the control panel.

The crew mistakenly assumed that their inability to redirect the ship was due to a failure in the thruster control systems, according to Golding. He identified several contributing factors to the incident, including issues related to training, planning, supervision, readiness, and risk assessment.

The investigation will continue into the first quarter of next year, and given that human error has been cited as the primary reason for the sinking, a separate disciplinary review will be initiated following the inquiry's completion. Three crew members who were on the bridge during the sinking are expected to face this process, which includes the officer in command, a supervising officer, and the commanding officer of the ship. Their names have not been disclosed.

Golding assured the public of New Zealand that lessons would be learned from this incident, stating, "It is up to me, as the Chief of Navy, to restore your trust." In the aftermath of the sinking, the Defense Minister of New Zealand criticized vitriolic online remarks directed at the ship's captain due to her gender.

The HMNZS Manawanui, which had been operational since 2019, was initially surveying the reef at the time of its grounding. The incident raised concerns among coastal villages in Samoa regarding possible environmental damage from diesel leaking into the ocean. However, New Zealand officials have reported that most of the fuel caught fire during the incident, and so far, no significant environmental harm has been recorded.

Golding indicated that there was still a continuous minor leak of fuel into the sea, which divers are currently monitoring. Specialized equipment is set to be transferred from New Zealand to Samoa by sea this week to aid in the removal of diesel and other potential pollutants from the wreckage.

As of now, New Zealand officials have not disclosed any plans regarding the removal of the ship from the reef. Golding acknowledged the incident's impact on their reputation, stating, "We will take responsibility, address the issue, and learn from it."

crew, sinking, inquiry