Navy History: When the US Navy Collied with Nature in the South China Sea

By Kris Osborn

Eleven sailors were injured in October 2020 when a US Navy Seawolf submarine crashed into an underwater ridge – many in the press call it an underwater mountain of sorts – in the South China Sea, an accident said to be “preventable” according to a formal Navy investigation.

Seawolf with a Problem: What We Know

The Navy assessment of the incident, which also generated a need for mental health support for the crew traumatized by the crash, found that navigational sailors responsible for guiding the submarine missed as many as 10 underwater hazards near the crash site as well.

The investigation states, as cited in a CNN report, that the USS Connecticut navigation team incorrectly concluded the submarine would be operating in an open area. The submarine also suffered from “low standards” because the ship’s leadership didn’t hold sailors accountable for navigation errors or deficiencies.

Perhaps this was preventable human error, poor concentration or some kind of malfunction with the navigational system.

Certainly, the substandard performance of the navigation team, as cited in the report, likely figured prominently in the collection of interwoven factors causing the crash. Among other things, the Navy investigation resulted in the dismissal of the submarine’s commanding officer.

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