Drone glitch, bad judgment led to crash

[unhappycamper]

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jun/26/chancellorsville-drone-accident-report/?st



Navy report faults San Diego ship skipper, control crew, for $30 million in damages

Drone glitch, bad judgment led to crash
By Jeanette Steele
1:07 p.m.June 26, 2014

A malfunctioning target drone, combined with judgment errors aboard the Navy cruiser Chancellorsville and at a Ventura County control center, led to the Nov. 13 accident that injured two sailors and breached the warship's hull.

A newly unclassified Navy report on the incident recommends administrative action against the ship's then-skipper, Capt. Andrew Hesser, and three key crew members for allowing a BQM-74 target drone to crash into the side of their ship without putting up an effective defense.

The repairs cost the Navy an estimated $30 million and took the ship out of service for a time. The drone's impact caused a fire in the breached space and in a portion of the electrical system. The report describes the sailors' injuries as minor.

The San Diego-based Chancellorsville was off the coast of Southern California in the middle of qualification trials for an upgrade to its Aegis-radar weapons system when the accident happened.



Northrop Grumman BQM-74E target drone

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. I read the article....quite a clusterfuck all around.

Sure seems general incompetence is wide spred these days.