The sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui off the coast of Samoa in October was the result of a “series of human errors”, an interim Court of Inquiry report has found.
A disciplinary process is expected to follow, the Chief of the Navy said this afternoon.
The Navy vessel sank after running aground on a coral reef off the coast of Upolu before catching fire on October 6. All 75 of its crew and passengers were safely evacuated.
According to the report released today, the direct cause of the grounding was determined to be a “series of human errors”, with the ship’s autopilot not disengaged when it should have been.
Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding said the crew did not realise the Manawanui had stayed in autopilot and, as a consequence, mistakenly believed its failure to respond to direction changes was the result of a thruster control failure.
“Having mistakenly assessed a thruster control failure, standard procedures should have prompted the ship’s crew to check that the ship was under manual control rather than in autopilot,” Golding said.
“This check did not occur.”
Staying on autopilot led the ship to barrel towards land until grounding and eventually stranding, the report said.
Golding said the reason it happened and what would come next is still being worked on as part of the wider investigation. The results of that inquiry are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
Disciplinary process to commence
Golding said that because human error was identified as the cause, a separate disciplinary process would need to begin once the Court of Inquiry had concluded.
The process would look at the officer in control of the ship, the supervising officer on the bridge, and the commanding officer of the Manawanui.
He said there were a number of other contributing factors leading to the grounding, which would be considered in more detail during phase two of the inquiry. These include training, planning, supervision, readiness, and risk assessment.
“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,” he said.
Speaking to media today, Defence Minister Judith Collins reacted to the report, saying: “I think we’re all terribly disappointed by what happened and why it happened”.
Abandoned ship
The Navy vessel ran aground and sank off the coast of Upolu, Samoa, on October 6. (Source: 1News)
In the week after the sinking, Collins praised the ship’s commander, Commander Yvonne Gray, for abandoning ship.
“If people had not been evacuated when they were, we could have been bringing home some body bags,” she told Q+A.
“What I said to the Prime Minister is, ‘We could’ve had 75 body bags coming off that flight, and I am just so grateful nobody died. I am devastated by the loss of a ship, but I don’t know that I could’ve coped with 75 body bags.”
Golding previously said Gray’s decision to abandon ship was the “right decision” and would have “saved lives”.
Environmental concerns
The vessel’s sinking raised concerns about damage to the local environment, with many worried that leaking fuel could taint their food source.
The ship was carrying around 950 tonnes of diesel, and earlier this month, local authorities said about 200,000 litres of fuel had leaked from the sunken wreckage.
Golding told media there was still a “persistent slow leak” coming from the Manawanui.
“We monitor it each day with our divers that are in place.”
He said compensation for locals was a matter for the Samoan government but said the Defence Force was supporting Samoa in the process.
On Monday last week, the Defence Force said it had engaged Pacific 7 Limited and Bay Underwater Services NZ Lt to remove, recover, and dispose safely of fuel and other pollutants on board the vessel.
This process was expected to begin at the start of December, despite the Defence Force previously saying it was expected to begin in November.
A barge with salvage equipment was expected to depart from New Zealand today and commence the cleanup on December 16.
The Navy bought the ship in 2018. It was previously used as a survey vessel for work in the oil and gas industry and was not built to be a military vessel.
It entered service for the Navy in 2019 and, until its sinking, was used for harbour and coastal surveying, underwater explosive disposal, underwater search and recovery, and limited mine countermeasures.
‘We will own it and learn from it’
Golding said the Defence Force remained grateful for Samoa’s support and was committed to working with local authorities on the ongoing response and cleanup.
“I want to reassure the public of New Zealand that we will learn from this situation and that it is on me, as the Chief of Navy, to earn back your trust.
“We have incredible people within our Defence Force who answer the call to serve every day. Much of their work is risky and involves decisions that can mean life or death. No one turns up to work to have a bad day.
“In this situation, we thankfully did not lose any lives, but lives have been affected nonetheless, and we continue to support and work closely with those who were onboard Manawanui on that day.”
Golding said to the people of New Zealand and Samoa: “We will own it and learn from it.”
He said the ship’s sinking had made an “impact” on New Zealand’s reputation around the world.
Collins said the Defence Force had “stepped up to the mark” and was taking the situation “extremely seriously”.
“Terrible situations are going to occur. It’s actually how you handle those that make a difference as to whether people can have full confidence in you,” she said.
