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Report: Navigator Was Listening To IPod During Collision By Nuclear Submarine

A report on the collision of the USS Hartford, a nuclear submarine, has found that the navigator was listening to his IPod and studying for an exam at the time of collision with the USS New Orleans.

The report found that sonar operators were missing from their posts and crew had rigged to have music blaring from speakers.

The question of the day is: what does a navigator listen to on his IPod when he is supposed to be guiding a nuclear submarine?

Here are my top five:

1. Yellow Submarine — The Beatles

2. “Son of a Son of a Sailor” – Jimmy Buffet

3. “If I had a boat” – Lyle Lovett

4. “Changes in latitudes” – Jimmy Buffet

5. “Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald” – Gordon Lightfoot

For the full story, click here.

15 thoughts on “Report: Navigator Was Listening To IPod During Collision By Nuclear Submarine”

  1. If the Sea Was Whiskey?

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0V0nYI6uqk&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

  4. “The water is wide” sung by James Taylor
    “Ain’t no sunshine” sung by Bill Withers or Lighthouse Family
    “Wade in the Water” sung by Eva Cassidy (video has Icebergs)

    and hopefully FTW:
    “Modern Inventions” by THE SUBMARINES

    Darlin’ i had the best intentions
    But i dug myself a hole,
    with a modern invention
    Baby did i make you feel that,
    you didn’t have a mind
    To reconcile the truth,
    In a troubled time
    Skipping messages…
    Good machines don’t lie
    From here we roll on…

  6. To be clear, the Navigator was not on watch at the time

    I think that was pretty obvious, hello, they crashed. 🙂

  8. Actually Dr Turley the submarine got off lightly. Had the sub ran into a civilian naval vessel you would have had the mother of all Tort cases. The negligence of the boat’s crew ( all submarines are referred to as boats) would have pure gold for any Tort lawyer looking for a big payday. The operators were found criminally liable via the UCMJ. Granted it was the kangaroo court process known as non-judicial punishment but still nothing to laugh at.

    Remember this is a vessel that carries the following:

    10 Mk48 ADCAP torpedo reloads, Tomahawk land attack missile block 3 SLCM range 1,700 nautical miles (3,100 km), Harpoon anti–surface ship missile range 70 nautical miles (130 km), mine laying Mk67 mobile Mk60 captor mines. That is a lot of stuff that goes boom in the night. Plus the boat does carry a nuclear generator on board for power. My guess it that you would not have found this as humorous had the reactor vessel somehow been breached.

    Also remember that over one hundred and two dollars were spent on fixing the USS Hartford and over two million more dollars were spent on fixing the ship she crashed into the USS New Orleans. Not a good day for the budget deficit, how many Law Professors could we keep ensconced in ivy league comfort with almost one hundred and five million dollars? How many eight year law degree graduates could you mint with that type of moola?

    This was no joke, this was a serious breach of military discipline.

  9. The Navy Hymn

    Eternal Father, Strong to save,
    Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
    Who bid’st the mighty Ocean deep
    Its own appointed limits keep;
    O hear us when we cry to thee,
    for those in peril on the sea.

  10. “The question of the day is: what does a navigator listen to on his IPod when he is supposed to be guiding a nuclear submarine?”

    To be clear, the Navigator was not on watch at the time. He would not be considered to be derelict in his duties. Listening to his iPod while studying would be acceptable. Contrary to the implied use of the term “Navigator”, in this case the term refers to the ship’s officer in charge of the Navigation Division. If any blame can be found, it would be placed on the Officer of the Deck and ultimately the ship’s Commanding Officer.

  12. A submarine running at periscope depth, at night, in a heavily congested area, is a pretty dangerous operation. The New Orleans was probably running dark and if she was running slow it would have been difficult to hear her.

    I’m just glad no one was seriously injured.

    The Navigator would have no doubt been listening to “The Submarine Song”.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy2jVX3GcMo&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

  13. Pardon me?

    I generally left no smoke on the water. If done, it was only by accident.

  14. Crash Into Me – Dave Matthews Band
    Sea of Heartbreak – Johnny Cash
    Accidents Will Happen – Elvis Costello
    Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
    Deep Down and Real – Nina Kahle

  15. ground control to major tom and my favorite.

    David Bowie- Space Oddity Original Video (1969)

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