Since 03-19-05
Fleet commander’s report - Buoyancy, treating injured were main concerns onboard
Since 03-19-05
From: Waspscpo@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 10:32 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
March 21, 2005
Fleet commander’s report: Buoyancy, treating injured were main concerns onboard
The following two messages were sent by Rear Adm. Paul Sullivan, Commander,
Pacific Fleet Submarine Force, on Jan. 8 and 10. They have been edited for space
and clarity.
Fellow Flag Officers: San Francisco apparently grounded at [11:42 a.m. local
time Jan. 8], at approximately 360 [nautical miles] southeast of Guam, during
submerged transit from Guam to Australia. At the time of the incident, the ship
was transiting on an easterly track at high speed in a submerged moving haven.
The ship sustained damage to equipment and injuries to personnel. The ship is
currently on the surface and stable, transiting to Guam making eight
knots.Approximately 60 of the 137 personnel on board are injured. The primary
personnel concern is one crewmember who is in critical condition with head
injuries. Another is in serious condition with head and back injuries.
Twenty-two additional personnel are injured to an extent they are unable to
stand watch.
Most of the injuries consist of broken bones and lacerations. A medical doctor
from a support vessel vectored to the San Francisco was transferred aboard at
approximately [9 a.m. local time Jan. 9] to provide medical attention to the
injured crewmembers. Transfer of additional medical personnel and medevac of the
critically injured crewmember via helo will occur when conditions
permit.Commander, Submarine Squadron 15, held a notification briefing for
families four hours after the incident and is providing regular updates and
counseling. Commander Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, is responding directly to
Red Cross inquiries from concerned family members as they arrive.
The nuclear reactor plant, propulsion train and electrical distribution systems
were unaffected by the incident. The primary material concern is buoyancy. Main
ballast tanks 1A/1B/2B and the sonar sphere are assessed to be partially flooded
and compromised, resulting in a slight port list, increased draft and slight
down angle. To maintain adequate buoyancy for normal surface transit, the low
pressure blower is operating continuously on the forward main ballast tanks. The
ship is holding steady at a zero-degree trim angle with a port two-degree list.
There is visible damage topside to the sonar dome.
An emergency procedure was developed by Naval Sea Systems Command and provided
to the ship to allow use of the diesel as a blower for the forward ballast tanks
in the event the LP blower fails. Diesel crank web deflections are
satisfactory.San Francisco will return to port Guam for a damage assessment. The
focus remains on treating injured personnel and getting the ship to Guam safely.
The situation will continue to be very fluid for several more days.
Second e-mailFellow flag officers, this is my second [unclassified] update on
the San Francisco incident for your situational awareness:
At 4:34 p.m. local time Jan. 10, the San Francisco returned safely to Apra Harbor, Guam. The ship moored with her own line handlers in a normal submarine configured mooring. The severely injured machinist’s mate (engine room upper level watch at time of grounding) was evacuated immediately and transferred by ambulance to Naval Hospital Guam, where a fully staffed medical team was standing by.
He is conscious and in stable condition. Approximately 15 additional injured
personnel requiring medical care subsequently departed the ship and were
transported to the hospital after taking a moment to meet with family members.
Following the grounding on Jan. 8, the ship transited on the surface at 8 knots
with surface escort, the cutter Galveston Island to Apra Harbor, Guam. Due to
deteriorated weather conditions on the evening of Jan. 9, the commanding officer
shifted bridge watch stations to control and shut bridge access hatches to
maximize watertight integrity in light of reserve buoyancy concerns. The ship
maintained stability throughout the surface transit, with continuous operation
of the Low Pressure Blower on the Forward Main Ballast Tanks. San Francisco has
experienced no reactor plant, propulsion train or electrical system degradations
as a result of the grounding. The commanding officer shifted the officer of the
deck’s watch to the bridge on Jan. 10 in preparation for piloting into Apra
Harbor.
The critically injured machinist’s mate passed away yesterday afternoon as a result of his injuries. The MM2 was in Aft Main Seawater Bay at the time of the grounding, and his body was thrown forward approximately 20 feet into Propulsion Lube Oil Bay. He suffered a severe blow to his forehead and never regained consciousness.
Emergency medical personnel, including a Naval Hospital Guam surgeon,
Undersea Medical Officer and Independent Duty Corpsmen, arrived on the ship via
helicopter transfer to provide immediate medical care and prepare the crewmember
for medical evacuation on the morning of Jan. 9.
Unfortunately, the sailor’s condition deteriorated, and he died onboard while
under the care of the embarked physicians. For the remainder of the transit, the
embarked medical trauma team administered medical care to the other injured
personnel. Their careful attention and evaluation augments the ship’s
Independent Duty Corpsman’s heroic efforts since the grounding.
While this grounding is a tragedy, with a thorough investigation led by Cecil
Haney, we will find out all the facts and then ensure we learn from the
mistakes. But, I, too, believe we have much to be thankful for today, and much
to be confident in. An operational warship has returned to port on her own power
with all but one of its crew after sustaining major hull damage. The survival of
the ship after such an incredibly hard grounding (nearly instantaneous
deacceleration from Flank Speed to 4 [knots]) is a credit to the ship design
engineers and our day-to-day engineering and watch-standing practices.
The continuous operation of the propulsion plant, electrical systems and
navigation demonstrates the reliability of our equipment and the operational
readiness of our crews as a whole.
The impressive joint and Navy team effort, which resulted in [San Francisco]
returning to port safely, says volumes about the ingenuity and resourcefulness
of all our armed services. For all who participated in this effort, thank you
and your people. We are all eternally grateful to each of you.
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Contributed,
YNCS Don Harribine, USN(ret)