A bomb discovery after the sinking of a New Zealand Navy ship worth $147 million
The crew of the HMNZS Manawanui did not realize the autopilot was engaged when it crashed into a Samoan reef, a military court has heard.
New Zealand’s worst maritime accident in peacetime occurred in October, when the ship sank off the coast in bad weather, with all 75 crew reaching shore during a dangerous overnight evacuation.
Vice Admiral Garin Golding, head of the navy, ordered the investigation, which found a “series of human errors” behind the loss of the US$147 million ($133 million) ship.
“The crew did not realize that Manawanui remained on autopilot and as a result mistakenly believed that the failure to respond to changes in direction was due to a malfunction in the thruster control,” said Rear Amdl Golding.
‘After an error in the bow thruster control was misjudged, standard operating procedures should have prompted the ship’s crew to check that the ship was under manual control rather than on autopilot.
‘This check did not take place. By remaining on autopilot, the ship continued its course toward land until it ran aground and ultimately beached itself.”
HMNZS Manawanui struck a reef near Samoa, caught fire and sank in New Zealand’s worst naval sinking
Divers investigate the area around the sunken ship near the south coast of Upulo, Samoa
The Royal New Zealand Navy dispatches the HMNZS Manawanui (right) for HMNZS Otago during a training exercise in 2020
The finding is part of a preliminary report on the case, which the Court will continue in 2025.
The ship ran aground on October 5 during survey work, with Commander Yvonne Gray, the ship’s captain, ordering an evacuation half an hour later.
It took about five hours for the crew to reach the shore in life rafts and inflatable boats, assisted by local seafaring Samoans who became aware of the need.
The ship caught fire and sank early on the morning of October 6.
Rear Adml Golding said he took responsibility for the crash and had ordered audits of the naval fleet of eight ships.
New Zealand’s naval forces were already under intense pressure, with four of the ships recently running aground due to exhaustion and government-ordered belt tightenings.
The blunder prompted Prime Minister Chris Luxon to apologize to Samoa, a former New Zealand colony that has mistreated the country in the past, and organize a rescue operation.
Members of the New Zealand Defense Force on shore in Samoa after being rescued
New Zealand is pursuing a ‘soft power’ approach in the Pacific, often partnering with countries such as Somoa and Tonga on military exercises (photo Royal Tongan Navy Lieutenant Commander Tala Mafile’o hands over NZ Navy Commander Yvonne Gray with a carved wooden bowl as a gift commemorating the RNZN’s participation in the 50th Anniversary Fleet Review)
The ship was on fire before sinking on October 6, leading to the evacuation of everyone on board
Navy Chief Admiral Garin Golding ordered the probe, which found a ‘series of human errors’ behind the sinking
