Investigation Findings
On 28 October 2009 Submarine Force Commander Jay Donnelly explained that the primary cause of the collision was complacency and poor management on the part of Hartford′s crew. According to Donnelly, "There was a great deal of complacency involved in the crew. They had been at sea for 63 days operating in areas with high contact density. There were a whole host of watchstanders that failed to recognize the sensor data that was presented to them."
The Navy's JAG investigation into the collision stated that the collision was solely the fault of the Hartford. The report found numerous safety, operational, personnel, and command problems in the submarine. The problems included the captain's failure to communicate a plan for crossing the strait, poor contact management, a lax command attitude, and a failure to correct watchstanders who were known to sleep on duty. At the time of the collision, the navigator was listening to an iPod in the wardroom. Furthermore, the captain was never present in the control room at any time during the crossing of the strait.
Read more about this topic: USS Hartford And USS New Orleans Collision
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