An investigation has revealed that a sudden course change and failure to assess the risks of navigating in restricted waters caused a US Navy supply ship to run aground in the Arabian Sea on September 23, 2024.
According to a navy investigation obtained by Business Insider, the grounding of the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn occurred due to, "a series of poor decisions, failure to follow procedure, application of open water navigation to restricted waters, and failure to exhibit proper risk calculation."
The probe revealed that Big Horn's captain at the time ordered that the ship sail along a shortcut through shallow waters rather than take a longer but safer route toward its final destination at the Port of Duqm in Oman.
The report stated that although the course change triggered safety alarms on the bridge, there was no indication that the captain or the watchstanders present acknowledged those same warnings as the ship sailed at high speed along its new route.
Because of the high transit speed, the ship shook violently as soon as the hull made bottom contact.
No pollution or casualties were reported. However, the ensuing damage necessitated repairs and other services that cost around US$20 million in total.
Navy investigators said that the grounding could have been prevented.
"No members of the bridge team, including the captain and navigator, seemed to realise they were steaming into restricted waters," the investigation stated. "No consideration was given for a required navigation brief, a more detailed plan, or thorough review of the proposed track prior to steaming through."