Talk:USS Norfolk (SSN-714)/Archive 1

Latest comment: 8 years ago by Dual Freq in topic 1989 collision
Archive 1

1989 collision

The Officer of Deck during the 1989 collision off of Cape Charles Light was a nuclear trained officer and was not the most junior officer onboard the submarine. The decision to rapidly head out to sea to perform the engineering inspection was made by the captain of the Norfolk. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hchanil (talk) 10:43, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

Got a reliable source to back that up? -MBK004 14:34, 13 February 2009 (UTC)
It was not a nuclear trained officer, and it was the most junior officer on the boat at that time...he was an ensign.QM3 Stoeffler... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.5.148.100 (talk) 18:29, 28 April 2009 (UTC)
I was the Main Propulsion Assistant during the construction of USS Norfolk and subsequently became the Combat Systems Officer during the Post Shakedown Availability (PSA). Joseph (J.J.) Krol was our second skipper, relieving in June 1983 and he in turn was relieved by Al Ponessa about 2 years later; CAPT Krol went on to skipper the Oklahoma City (SSN 723) during construction and retired as a RADM. Another shipmate is already in Wikipedia, (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeong_H._Kim). The skipper at the time of the 1989 collision was my neighbor and the collision was with the USS San Diego near Thimble Shoals light, not Cape Charles as is indicated. Norfolk proceeded down Thimble Shoals channel because of draft constraints and only then was able to come about and return to port. 137.246.207.200 (talk) 13:06, 3 May 2011 (UTC) Rick Bennett

Removing parts of this as uncited:

On 17 January 1989, Norfolk was involved in a collision with the combat stores ship USS San Diego (AFS-6) off Cape Charles Light, VA as both vessels were headed to sea. Norfolk was outbound for an engineering inspection, an event which occupied all of the ships most experienced officers. The Officer of the Deck was the ship's most junior officer, a non-nuclear-trained Lieutenant Junior-Grade, and the Commanding Officer himself was new to the ship, sick and hoarse that day. While trying to pass the San Diego in a turn in the channel, the current set Norfolk towards an outer buoy on the port side. Overcorrecting for this event, Norfolk delivered a glancing blow to the ship on her starboard side, San Diego. There were no injuries, and neither ship suffered significant structural damage. Upon returning to dockside later that day, Norfolk's commanding officer was relieved, and the sub proceeded on the surface to Kings Bay, Georgia, for inspection and repairs. As a result of this collision, COMSUBLANT issued orders limiting submarine speed and passing activities while in the restricted waters of the Hampton Roads channels.

--Dual Freq (talk) 13:41, 1 November 2015 (UTC)