Crew Failures Led to Grounding, Sinking of New Zealand Navy Ship, Says Report

December 1, 2024 7:39 PM
RNZN Divers survey HMNZS Manawanui off the Southern Coast of Upulo, Samoa.

A New Zealand Defence Force Court of Inquiry found that crew error caused the Royal New Zealand Navy hydrographic dive and survey ship HMNZS Manawanui (A09) to run aground and sink in October.

An NZDF release on Friday cited RNZN head Rear Adm. Garin Golding saying the COI’s interim report found the ship’s autopilot was not disengaged when it should have been. The crew did not realize Manawanui’s autopilot was still on, so they believed its failure to respond to direction changes was due to a failure in thruster controls.

Golding added that having assessed a thruster control failure, the crew did not check that the ship was under manual control rather than autopilot, as per standard procedures. Instead, the autopilot stayed on and Manawanui maintained a course toward land, running aground and becoming stranded.

The crew tried and failed to maneuver the ship off the reef, according to a timeline provided with the press release. While no damage or flooding was detected inside the ship, stability assessments made after the grounding indicated Manawanui was no longer stable. About 30 minutes after the initial grounding, the ship was abandoned. All personnel were successfully evacuated with no serious injuries. The ship then caught fire before capsizing and sinking on the morning of Oct.6.

The RNZN Chief stated in the release that the COI expected to determine why the situation occurred and what lessons could be learned in the first quarter of next year. Other contributing factors were identified and will be considered in more detail during phase two of the process.

“To provide some immediate assurance, we have conducted a series of audits in the Fleet and looked to implement initial lessons identified from the interim report around training, risk management, and improving relevant orders, instructions and procedures,” added Golding.

Golding also said a separate disciplinary process would commence once the COI had concluded. In a joint press conference with New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins that was held on Friday, Golding said that the disciplinary process would look at the officer who was in control of the ship, their direct supervisor and the ship’s commanding officer.

A birds eye view of HMNZS Manawanui sits off the Southern Coast of Uplou. New Zealand Defence Forces Photo

Golding received the interim report on Nov. 14 according to an NZDF release. It then went through an independent legal review. The full interim report has not been released publicly, though NZDF has released information it deems relevant to the public. The COI is still ongoing and specific findings in the report will likely be used as evidence for the disciplinary process once the COI has concluded.

In response to a question, Golding admitted the sinking had damaged New Zealand’s reputation on the world stage.

“We need to own it, we need to fix it and learn the lessons,” said Golding.

He added, however, that at the same time the Manawanui sank the RNZN helped Samoa host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ) 2024 with the multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury (L421) and divers from the HMNZS Matataua unit., Fleet oiler HMNZS Aotearoa, which had just returned from East Asia, is preparing to deploy to the Antarctic to support Antarctica New Zealand and frigate HMNZS Te Kaha (F77) off the coast of Australia preparing for its deployment next year to the Middle East.

“We’re out there doing things on behalf of our nation”, said Golding.

Defence Minister Collins stated in the press conference that there have been more calls for RNZN support and assistance recently than there have been in a very long time.

Aotearoa returned to its home port of Devonport Naval Base on Oct. 25 after completing a 135-day deployment. The fleet oiler arrived early to Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2024 (RIMPAC 2024) in Hawaii on June 23. During the exercise, it received a total of 13,386,000 liters of F76 Diesel Fuel and passed a total of 6,384,000 liters of F76 diesel fuel and 460,000 liters of aviation fuel to customer ships both inside and outside the exercise, according to an NZDF release.

Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui (A09) during weapons firing practice in the Pacific Ocean during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) on Aug. 19, 2020. US Navy Photo

Aotearoa carried out Replenishment at Sea (RAS) operations with 16 ships from partner nations during RIMPAC 2024, including a concurrent RAS with U.S destroyer USS Sterett (DDG-104) and Canadian frigate HMCS Vancouver (FFH331). On July 25 Aotearoa carried out its longest replenishment ever, transferring 3 million liters of diesel fuel and 350,000 liters of aviation fuel in an 8.5-hour RAS operation to amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) as it set out for an Indo-Pacific deployment.

The fleet oiler subsequently spent four weeks helping monitor United Nations Security Council Resolutions-imposing sanctions against North Korea where it replenished international navy vessels patrolling the Korean Peninsula. On Sept. 25 Aotearoa conducted a Taiwan Strait transit with Australian destroyer HMAS Sydney (DDG42) and subsequently supported partner navies in the South China Sea before heading for home.

A civilian-contracted tug and a barge are currently making their way to Samoa to carry out the removal, recovery and safe disposal of the fuel and other pollutants from Manawanui.

Dzirhan Mahadzir

Dzirhan Mahadzir

Dzirhan Mahadzir is a freelance defense journalist and analyst based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Among the publications he has written for and currently writes for since 1998 includes Defence Review Asia, Jane’s Defence Weekly, Navy International, International Defence Review, Asian Defence Journal, Defence Helicopter, Asian Military Review and the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter.

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