STAR-BULLETIN / MAY 2004 The USS San Francisco, which is home-ported in Guam, ran aground in the Pacific on Saturday, killing one sailor. Here, the submarine enters Pearl Harbor.

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Sub likely struck
natural object

An inquiry into the
USS San Francisco
is under way, the Navy says

A U.S. nuclear submarine that ran aground last weekend, killing one sailor and injuring 23 others, struck something hard on the Pacific Ocean floor and had to surface suddenly, a Navy spokesman said yesterday.

Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis said an initial investigation turned up nothing to indicate the USS San Francisco struck anything but a large rock, land or other natural feature as it conducted underwater operations about 350 miles south of Guam.

The ship "struck something very hard and did an emergency surface," Davis said at a media briefing in Guam. "We'll do everything we can to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Davis added there were no reports of damage to the submarine's nuclear reactor, which was how the San Francisco made its way back to its home port in Guam yesterday without being towed. Although the submarine's outer hull was damaged, the inner hull remained intact.

The submarine, which was headed to Australia for a port visit, ran aground around noon Guam time on Saturday.

Machinist Mate 2nd Class Joseph Allen Ashley, 24, of Akron, Ohio, died Sunday after suffering major head injuries in the accident, Davis said. Ashley had been working in the engineering compartments of the submarine.

At least 23 sailors suffered injuries including broken bones, cuts and bruises, the Navy said. The submarine has a crew of 137.

"The families of the sailors were kept well informed about exactly what the status of their loved ones are," Davis said. "This is something we're deeply sadden by. It's a tragedy we're going to work through."

Ashley graduated in 1999 from Manchester (Ohio) High School, where he played drums with the marching band, his mother, Vicki, said Sunday. She said he followed the footsteps of his father, Daniel, who served eight years in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

Just a few months ago, Ashley re-enlisted for five more years, his mother said. Friends and neighbors placed small American flags on the lawn of his family's home.

The extent of the damage to the hull has not yet been determined. Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander of U.S. Pacific Command based in Hawaii, said yesterday that a "rapid and thorough" investigation was under way.

"We're still gathering facts, so it would be inappropriate for me to speculate on the cause," he said at a media briefing at Camp Smith on Oahu.

Fargo had a prominent role following one of the more notable Pacific submarine collisions in recent years.

Four years ago, as commander of the Pacific Fleet, Fargo presided over a rare court of inquiry in connection with the Feb. 9, 2001, sinking of a Japanese fishing boat by the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Greeneville. Nine men and boys were killed.

Fargo found that the Greeneville's skipper, Cmdr. Scott Waddle, rushed his crew through preparations for a surfacing exercise and performed an insufficient periscope sweep. Waddle was reprimanded and agreed to retire from the Navy at full rank and pension.

The San Francisco is one of three submarines based on Guam, a U.S. territory about 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.