Sub Hit Mountain That Was Not On Its Charts

Since 01-11-05

From: SSN584NUC1@aol.com [mailto:SSN584NUC1@aol.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 8:00 AM
To: ALLSEADRAGON@aol.com
Subject: Sub Hit Mountain That Was Not On Its Charts

Navy Says Sub Hit Mountain That Was Not On Its Charts
New York Times - Free Registration Required ( JAN. 11)

A nuclear attack submarine that ran aground Saturday in the South Pacific, killing one sailor and injuring 23 others, appears to have smashed into an undersea mountain that was not on its charts, Navy officials said yesterday. The submarine, the San Francisco, was cruising at high speed, about 30 knots, and was more than 400 feet below the surface when the accident forced it to blow air into its emergency ballast tanks to surface.

Some of the tanks were damaged by the impact. One officer said the effort to keep the submarine afloat was initially "very touch and go." The accident occurred 350 miles south of Guam, and the vessel returned to its base there under its own power yesterday. The Navy is investigating how the crash occurred.