New Zealand Navy Says Human Error Caused Ship to Sink Off Samoa
- Crew didn’t realize autopilot engaged, Court of Inquiry finds
- Navy ship hit reef, caught fire, capsized and sunk last month
The HMNZS Manawanui in Napier, New Zealand, in February.
Photographer: Kerry Marshall/Getty Images
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Human error led to the sinking of a New Zealand Navy vessel earlier this year, a Court of Inquiry has found.
The HMNZS Manawanui was carrying out survey work off the coast of the South Pacific island of Samoa on Oct. 5 when it ran aground on a reef. The crew abandoned the ship, which subsequently caught fire, capsized and sunk. No lives were lost.