Key Points and Summary – In 2005, the U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarine USS San Francisco struck an uncharted underwater mountain head-on while traveling at maximum speed.
-The tragic incident, which killed one sailor and injured 98 others, was not a matter of bad luck.
The Los Angeles class submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) shown in dry dock is having repairs made on its damaged bow. A new large steel dome about 20 feet high and 20 feet in diameter was put in the place of the damaged bow. San Francisco ran aground 350 miles south of Guam Jan. 8, killing one crew member and injuring 23. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED)
-An official Navy investigation found that the submarine’s navigation team failed to use charts in their possession that clearly marked the seamount.
-This “accumulation of errors” and failure to follow procedures led to a preventable and severe grounding that left the submarine’s bow heavily damaged.
How Navy Submarine USS San Francisco Hit an Underwater Mountain and Did Not Sink
Besides their ship sinking, capsizing, or being hijacked by pirates, perhaps the biggest fear for a ship’s crew is the thought of running aground.
For the crews of submarines, there is another angle to that fear: A sub risks running into underwater mountains. One might wonder how such a collision could occur, given the sheer size of underwater mountains and the sophisticated sonar onboard modern submersibles. Yet it has happened on more than one occasion.
Accordingly, National Security Journal introduces a two-part series about U.S. Navy submarines that ran into seamounts.
We start with the story of the USS San Francisco (SSN-711).
USS San Francisco History in Brief
The San Francisco was the sixth ship of the Los Angeles-class of nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines. She was commissioned on April 24, 1981, and served until her inactivation on May 11, 2017.
She displaced 6,900 tons while submerged, had a hull length of 360 feet, and a max submerged speed of approximately 32 knots. “Frisco” had a crew complement of 12 commissioned officers and 115 enlisted seamen, and an armament suite consisting of four 533-mm torpedo tubes for Mk-48 torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The San Francisco is a proud name in the annals of U.S. Navy history. Previously it was the name of a New Orleans-class heavy cruiser (CA-38) that made a horrific, heroic sacrifice during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. This cruiser earned a Presidential Unit Citation as well as 17 battle stars.
San Fran vs. Seamount Story
The star-crossed submarine’s tragic incident took place on Jan. 8, 2005, an estimated 364 nautical miles southeast of Guam, while the vessel was operating at a depth of 525 feet. She struck the seamount head-on while transiting at flank speed, resulting in the death of Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Joseph Allen Ashley.
Injuries including broken bones, lacerations, bruises, two dislocated shoulders, and a back injury afflicted 98 of Ashley’s shipmates.
The San Francisco’s bow was heavily damaged, but luckily her inner hull and nuclear reactor were unscathed, and she was able to return to port in Guam under her own power.
So, Why Did It Happen?
On May 9, 2005, the Navy released an official 124-page report assessing the cause of the accident. To wit:
“The findings of fact show that San Francisco, while transiting at flank (maximum) speed and submerged to 525 feet, hit a seamount that did not appear on the chart being used for navigation.
“Other charts in San Francisco’s possession did, however, clearly display a navigation hazard in the vicinity of the grounding.
“San Francisco’s navigation team failed to review those charts adequately and transfer pertinent data to the chart being used for navigation, as relevant directives and the ship’s own procedures required.
If San Francisco’s leaders and watch teams had complied with requisite procedures and exercised prudent navigation practices, the grounding would most likely have been avoided. Even if not wholly avoided, however, the grounding would not have been as severe and loss of life may have been prevented.”
The report also noted that Petty Officer Ashley’s injury was “inevitably fatal,” and therefore, “Earlier evacuation or arrival of medical officers would not have changed the outcome for Ashley.” (Two attempts had been made to medevac him via helicopter).
As a result of the findings of the inquest, the San Francisco’s skipper, Commander Kevin Mooney, was relieved of duty, and several other crew members faced disciplinary actions.
The relative lack of internal damage to the submarine proved to be one silver lining in an otherwise very cloudy story. Extensive repair works included replacement of the damaged bow with that of the decommissioned USS Honolulu (SSN-718), and the vessel returned to operational duty in 2009.
Where Is She Now?
SSN-711 was officially decommissioned on May 15, 2022. However, she hasn’t been completely put out to pasture yet. The submarine currently serves as a moored training ship at the Nuclear Power School (NPS), a Navy technical school in Goose Creek, South Carolina.
Meanwhile, another warship bearing the San Francisco moniker is already in the works; this future undersea boat will be a Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine (SS-810), which will sport the latest Block V advancements, including the Virginia Payload Module (VPM). Her name was announced on Oct. 3, 2023, by then-Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU).
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