U.S. Nuclear Submarine Runs Aground

[Red2]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=sto...108/ap_on_re_us/submarine_aground_1&printer=1

U.S. Nuclear Submarine Runs Aground

Sat Jan 8, 3:45 AM ET

HONOLULU - A nuclear submarine ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam, injuring several sailors, one of them critically, the Navy said.

There were no reports of damage to the USS San Francisco's reactor plant, which was operating normally, the Navy said.

Jon Yoshishige, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, said the Friday afternoon incident is under investigation and the 360-foot submarine was headed back to its home port in Guam.

Details on the sailors' injuries were not immediately available. The sub has a crew of 137, officials said.

Military and Coast Guard aircraft from Guam were en route to monitor the submarine and assist if needed, the Navy said.

Guam is a U.S. territory about 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.

 

[PropStop]

Ooops.

I see another opening for a sub skipper in the near future.

Hope those guys are okay though.

 

[Acoustix99]

they said one critically injured, 19 others injured enough so they couldn't work. Mostly head injuries. They sent the sub tender out to it, because it was a little past the helo's range to evac the injured, plus most of the helos on guam are currently deployed. And yes, that skipper is definitely done for, regardless of what happened.

 

[Bevo16]

350 miles is way past the range for a MH-60S. The Air Force might have something out there that has the legs to go and get them, not a Sierra though. They only carry about 2 hours worth of gas.

 

[Acoustix99]

Des the sierra have any kind of capability for external tanks? I know it's based more off the Army's version, which can.

 

[cryptgal]

My buddy is an ELT and knows a couple of guys that were and and still are on the USS Sanfrancisco, I hope they are okay!!!

 

[gagirl]

The critically injured sailor died. I can only imagine how bad the Captain feels. Will he get in more trouble since there was a death? I know his career is over, but I was just wondering. Hope the other guys are ok.

 

[Flash]

It is possible the CO might not be relieved. If they hit an uncharted obstructon underwater the CO might not be at fault. I believe it happened years ago and the CO was not relieved. The sub hit an uncharted obstruction at realitively high speed and the sub was damaged. Is it rare? Yeah, but possible.

 

[Kycntryboy]

I'm just curious wouldn't that show up as a "large haze" on sonar, or have I been watching to many movies.

 

[Flash]

I'm just curious wouldn't that show up as a "large haze" on sonar, or have I been watching to many movies.

On active sonar it would, but the boats usually don't like using that. Everyone can hear active sonar (the ping you hear in the movies), defeating a submarine's goal of keeping quiet. Not a great big secret, I learned it from reading Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising.

 

[VetteMuscle427]

Not to mention, when traveling at high speed, sonar is largely negated. I too learned from Tom Clancy.

 

[Banjo33]

I am a Clancy fanatic!

Sorry for the threadjack, game on.....

 

[Country Boy]

I know of at least three guys that are on the San Fran and one guy en route. All of them are okay. Believe it or not but one of the injuries was a "coat hanger to the eye" somehow. The guy that died was an "A-ganger" who was smoking in the aft end and was thrown into a lube oil sump at great force and pretty much died on impact. They were traveling at Ahead Flank when they hit, too. My sympathies to them all.

 

[gagirl]

thanks for the update. I hate that one died, and a coat hanger to the eye? That sounds pretty nasty.
Question...have you always been able to smoke on subs or is this new? For some reason I just figured you couldn't. I'm sure someone will be nice enough to set me straight.
Thanks,
GAgirl

 

[ET-Mike]

wow, a coat hanger to the eye...when we went for our aviation physiology classes in P'cola there was a first aid station where you had to figure out the various pilots injuries. One of them had a stick in the eye. I practically vomitted on command at the sight of that...no pun intended.