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View Full Version : USS San Francisco SSN711 Collision pictures


Blue03
03-30-2005, 08:23 AM
A friend sent these (with descriptions below) and I was shocked and amazed. The incident was tragic but it could have been so much worse. That is quite a crumple zone and one stout Boat!

..."This is the one that ran into an underwater mountain on it's way to liberty somewhere in the South Pacific.
I understand there was no knowledge of this underwater mountain from any current Navy charts.
Quite a tragedy, luckily there weren't more killed as I understand that it was traveling at 30 knots or more since 30 is all they can tell you in non-classified messages.


The yard workers have taken the blue tarps off the bow of the
USS San Francisco SSN711, a fast attack submarine that collided
with an uncharted mountain in the Pacific Ocean last month, with
the loss of one life and injuries to over 60 other submariners...."
BruteForce
03-30-2005, 09:09 AM
A fender bender of colossal proportions! Wow. I'd hate to see the Geico bill next month. :help:
jdando
03-30-2005, 10:09 AM
Holy Cow!

What are the black rectangular "things" on the sub? Is it some insulation, shielding, unobtanium?

jeremy
bostonmarauder
03-30-2005, 12:33 PM
the black squares up front are part of the sonar array
rayjay
03-30-2005, 05:41 PM
What a statement about the USA's technology that the boat didn't sink.
shakes_26
03-30-2005, 05:48 PM
it was already sunk, well, that is its suppsoed to sink, the really hairy part is if it doesn't float again....

remember, the fall doesn't kill you, its the sudden stop.

Still, holy carp, that a serious impact.
hitchhiker
03-30-2005, 06:34 PM
it was already sunk, well, that is its suppsoed to sink, the really hairy part is if it doesn't float again....

remember, the fall doesn't kill you, its the sudden stop.

Still, holy carp, that a serious impact.

Did somebody say CARP!

http://www.carleton.ca/~stainton/images/fishpictures/rob2.jpg


:D
Joe Walsh
03-30-2005, 07:25 PM
Did somebody say CARP!

http://www.carleton.ca/~stainton/images/fishpictures/rob2.jpg


:D

Neat looking coloration...Grass Carp??


Back to the sub....

Every joint/bulkhead/weld/bolt/fitting took a SERIOUS shock....
I wonder what brave souls will depth test that sub once she is repaired and re-fitted???

Is that not a titanium pressure hull? My dad once worked on them up at Groton, Conn.
shakes_26
03-30-2005, 07:27 PM
not Titanium, I think the reds tried that once before very mucho $$ and requires special environment for welding, not feasible large scale. They use a special alloy, but since I dont know if its public knowledge I'll shut my yap :) Sorry, check Janes if you want more info.
Sactown
03-30-2005, 08:06 PM
That thing could have used a quality front bumber from FoMoCo.

Nice carp Hitch, what river did you pull that one out of?
hitchhiker
03-31-2005, 09:16 AM
That thing could have used a quality front bumber from FoMoCo.

Nice carp Hitch, what river did you pull that one out of?
That's not me. I did a Google search for a Carp Picture...

:D
Mad4Macs
03-31-2005, 06:38 PM
Man... as an old LA class sailor, those pics gave me the willies! And when I think that I've sailed around Guam too... yowza!
I can't imagine how loud that collision must have been, and how scared the crew must have felt at the time... and what they must have felt when they first saw their forward ballast tanks.
Whew!
ParkRanger
04-01-2005, 09:51 AM
I'm not sure about this , never having been on a sub, but shouldn't they have some sort of instrumentation (scanners, radio waves, etc) on the bridge that can "see" moveable (like other ships) and fixed objects while underway?? :confused:

PR :burnout:
Mad4Macs
04-01-2005, 11:02 AM
I'm not sure about this , never having been on a sub, but shouldn't they have some sort of instrumentation (scanners, radio waves, etc) on the bridge that can "see" moveable (like other ships) and fixed objects while underway?? :confused:

PR :burnout:

As spooky as this sounds, submarines navigate using passive sonar. They "listen" ahead of them for sounds to either track or avoid.
Subs go "active" when doing things like target aquisition.
A "ping" can be followed by a torpedo :D
Navigator's rely on their charts for things like undersea mountains...
Badger
04-01-2005, 11:05 AM
I'm not sure about this , never having been on a sub, but shouldn't they have some sort of instrumentation (scanners, radio waves, etc) on the bridge that can "see" moveable (like other ships) and fixed objects while underway?? The idea is to be silent. Anything that emits can be heard. You rely on good charts, and listen for other vessels. Some objects like seamounts have an increase in population of shrimp etc which live in shallower water. If you hear them....the waters getting shallow.
BruteForce
04-01-2005, 12:37 PM
sailor: Captain. I think I hear shrimp!

Captain: @#$%^&*!! ALL STOP! Prepare to release cocktail sauce counter measures!
Sactown
04-01-2005, 01:36 PM
The idea is to be silent. Anything that emits can be heard. You rely on good charts, and listen for other vessels. Some objects like seamounts have an increase in population of shrimp etc which live in shallower water. If you hear them....the waters getting shallow.Can't they just look out the front window?
CBT
04-01-2005, 01:37 PM
We were told at work to quit forwarding pictures of this sub to people since the Navy had not de-classified the pictures and/or released them officially. As a welder in the Navy, i can tell you those hulls are very thick, and very strong. Aircraft carriers have a super strong flight deck to handle all those landings, potential crashes, and bombs going off on them. Submarine hulls can withstand even more abuse than that.
Bluerauder
04-01-2005, 01:56 PM
sailor: Captain. I think I hear shrimp!

Captain: @#$%^&*!! ALL STOP! Prepare to release cocktail sauce counter measures!

^^^^^^^^^^^:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: ^^^^^^^^^^^^
ROTFLMAO
Mad4Macs
04-01-2005, 05:18 PM
The idea is to be silent. Anything that emits can be heard. You rely on good charts, and listen for other vessels. Some objects like seamounts have an increase in population of shrimp etc which live in shallower water. If you hear them....the waters getting shallow.
Quite right. It's just hard to believe that there were uncharted mountains off of Guam. Is it possible? Sure, but subs drive under the assumption that those charts are damned near perfect. Unless someone from sonar had issued a warning before she hit, the helmsman most certainly never knew what was coming :(
And for those pictures... I can't believe that the Navy would have cleared those for release. There are particular items in them that I'm kinda sure would be considered classified information.