2009 USS Port Royal grounding facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
2009 USS Port Royal grounding

USS Port Royal aground off Oahu
Date	5 February 2009
Location	off Oahu, Hawaii
Cause	Crew error, broken equipment
Outcome	USS Port Royal and coral reef habitat damaged

The 2009 USS Port Royal grounding was when a large United States Navy ship, the USS Port Royal, got stuck on a coral reef near Oahu, Hawaii. This happened on February 5, 2009. The ship, which is a type of warship called a guided missile cruiser, was damaged, and so was the important coral reef.

People in Hawaii paid a lot of attention to this event. It was a big deal because of the harm to the delicate coral environment. Also, the stranded ship was easy to see from Honolulu and the nearby airport, which was quite embarrassing for the Navy. An investigation later found that the accident happened because of several problems. These included a navigation system that was misunderstood, a very tired captain, broken equipment, and a bridge team that wasn't working well together.

What Happened?

The USS Port Royal had just finished some repairs at the Pearl Harbor shipyard. These repairs cost $18 million. On February 5, 2009, at 8:15 AM, the ship left the shipyard for tests in the ocean near Oahu.

The ship's depth finder, called a fathometer, was broken. This device usually tells how deep the water is under the ship. Around noon, the ship's main navigation system changed from using GPS to an internal system called Ring Laser Gyro Navigation. This system made mistakes, reporting the ship's location as 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away from where it actually was. No one on board noticed this error.

The ship was doing its first tests after repairs. These tests included checking its full power, steering, and helicopter operations.

The grounding happened at 8 PM, about 0.5 miles (800 m) south of the Honolulu International Airport's Reef Runway. No one was hurt, and no fuel spilled into the ocean. The ship getting stuck was clearly visible to planes landing and taking off, which was embarrassing for the Navy.

The cruiser sits 33 feet (10 m) deep in the water. It got stuck hard on a sand and rock ledge where the water was only 14 to 22 feet (4.3 to 6.7 m) deep.

Getting the Ship Free

The salvage ship USNS Salvor tried three times to pull the Port Royal off the sandbar. These attempts were on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (February 6–8). Even with very high tides and after removing 200 tons (181 tonnes) of fuel and water, 7,000 US gallons (26,000 L) of sewage, and 15 tons (13.6 tonnes) of crew members, the ship remained stuck.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet said the ship was moving very slowly when it got stuck. It was transferring aviation officials to a smaller boat to take them to shore. Another ship, the Clean Islands, was nearby to help clean up any oil spills. Rear Admiral Dixon R. Smith was in charge of the rescue efforts.

On February 9, 2009, the Port Royal was finally pulled off the rock and sand at about 2 AM. Before this, crews had removed another 500 tons (454 tonnes) of water and 100 tons (91 tonnes) of anchors and other equipment to make the ship lighter. It took a salvage ship and seven tug boats about 40 minutes to free the Port Royal. No one was hurt during this effort.

After the ship was freed, Rear Admiral Joe Walsh announced that Captain John Carroll, the commanding officer of the Port Royal, was removed from his duties. This happened while an investigation was ongoing. Captain John Lauer temporarily took command of the ship.

Repairing the Ship and Reef

The ship was badly damaged. Its front part, called the bow sonar dome, which holds equipment for finding things underwater, was heavily damaged. The ship's propellers and the shafts that turn them were also damaged. The ship was taken to a drydock for repairs.

After the ship's sewage had cleared from the water, divers from Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources checked the reef. They found that the ship had damaged the coral reef. Hawaiian divers, with help from Navy divers, started mapping the damage. This helped them figure out how much work was needed to fix the coral.

By February 12, 2009, some of the ship's broken propeller blade tips were still on the ocean floor. In April 2009, Laura Thielen, who led Hawaii's Board of Land and Natural Resources, wrote to the Navy. She said the grounding had damaged between six and 10 acres (2.4 to 4.0 ha) of the reef. The main damaged area was about 9,600 square feet (890 m2). She also mentioned that the grounding might have harmed the living area of green turtles.

On February 18, 2009, the ship entered Dry Dock Number 4 at Pearl Harbor. It needed repairs to its shafts, propellers, and the underwater part of its hull. The bow sonar dome and its inside parts also needed to be replaced. The Navy thought repairs would cost between $25 million and $40 million and would be done by September 2009.

By the end of July 2009, most of the ship's repairs were finished. However, there were problems rebuilding the sonar dome, which was the most damaged part. Also, the supports for the propulsion shafts were slightly out of line. The repairs were expected to be completed in September, and the ship was set to return to duty in October. The ship went on its first mission since the grounding in June 2011.

To fix the coral reef, the Navy hired divers from several companies. Work to repair the damaged reef started in late April 2009. By June 27, 2009, at a cost of $7 million, divers had collected 5,400 loose coral pieces. They reattached these pieces to the reef using cement and plaster of Paris. The divers also removed 250 cubic yards (191 m3) of broken reef material. The Navy had planned more repair work for the reef later in 2009, but this was stopped. Environmental experts advised that adding more coral might cause more harm than good.

Why Did It Happen?

On June 2, 2009, the Navy took action against four officers from the Port Royal because of the grounding. Captain John Carroll, the commanding officer, was disciplined for "dereliction of duty" (not doing his job properly) and "improper hazarding of a vessel" (putting the ship in danger). The ship's Executive Officer, Commander Steve Okun, was also disciplined for not doing his duty. Two other officers and one sailor were also disciplined for similar reasons. The Navy did not share the exact details of their punishments.

A Navy investigation report, which was not meant to be public but was obtained by a newspaper, listed several reasons for the grounding. These included a navigation system that was misunderstood, a very tired commanding officer, broken equipment, and a bridge team that was not experienced or working well together.

The report stated that Captain Carroll had only 4.5 hours of sleep in the 24 hours before the grounding. He had only slept 15 hours in the three days before the incident. He had also been away from sea command for five years. Just before the grounding, Carroll had ordered that some aviation personnel on board be taken to shore in a small boat.

The investigation found that the ship's depth finder was broken. Both radar screens on the ship's bridge were also not working. Before the grounding, the ship switched from its GPS navigation system to a gyroscope system. This switch caused the ship's reported position to be 1.5 miles (2.4 km) off. Alarm bells went off because of this mistake, but the crew ignored them.

During the small-boat transfer, an officer noticed the position error but could not correct the ship's path in time. Soon after, the ship got stuck lightly, but then strong waves pushed it hard onto the reef.

The report concluded that even with the broken equipment and navigation system problems, there were enough working sensors and visual clues to prevent the grounding. It found that the ship's navigation evaluator lost track of the situation. The report also stated that the "Bridge watch team, navigation, and (Combat Information Center) team did not work together to assess situation and keep the ship from standing into danger."

Qualified lookouts were available for duty that night. However, they were working in the mess hall as food servers and were not allowed to be on watch. Also, the ship's movement due to currents and wind was not calculated.

The report mentioned that the cruiser had been rushed out of dry dock. Some work scaffolding was removed only 30 minutes before the ship left for its ocean tests. Also, the quartermaster of the watch, who helps with navigation, was inexperienced and lacked training. The report suggested a special navigation course for supervisors. It also recommended a break of at least 96 hours between shipyard work and sea trials. This would ensure crews were well-rested and ready for operations.

After the Grounding

The Port Royal left dry dock at Pearl Harbor on September 24, 2009. It needed final repairs and checks before returning to duty. While in dry dock, workers replaced the ship's sonar dome and reinstalled its rudders. They also made structural repairs to the ship's tanks and hull. Four sections of the propeller shafts were replaced, and the supports for the shafts were realigned. The underwater hull was also repainted with special blue paint to prevent things from growing on it.

In February 2011, the Navy and the state of Hawaii announced they had reached an agreement about the damage. The Navy agreed to pay Hawaii $8.5 million. This money was in addition to the $6.5 million the Navy had already spent trying to fix the reef. Rear Admiral Timothy Giardina said the agreement recognized Hawaii's loss of a natural resource. He also noted the Navy's big efforts to restore the reef. William J. Aila, from Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources, said the Navy did the right thing by taking responsibility.

After $40 million in repairs, the cruiser went on its first mission since the grounding in June 2011. It left Pearl Harbor for a seven-month mission to the Western Pacific and Middle East. Rear Admiral Smith said he had moved past the grounding incident. He added that it was an unfortunate event that everyone learned from.

Some Navy leaders lost confidence in the ship's condition. Because of this, the Port Royal was put on a list of seven cruisers to be retired early. It was planned to be taken out of service on March 31, 2013. However, in May 2013, a report to Congress said the ship's condition was similar to other ships of its type. It suggested that the effects of the grounding might not have been as bad as first thought.

Images for kids

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  USNS Salvor and other ships tow the grounded Port Royal off a shoal near Pearl Harbor

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  Port Royal in drydock for repairs following the grounding showing damage to the ship's propellers

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  Port Royal undergoing repair in drydock following the grounding