A New Zealand warship that crashed into a coral reef before catching fire and sinking had been left on autopilot, an official investigation has heard.
Crew members of HMNZS Manawanui believed the vessel was under manual control while sailing in Samoan waters.
All 75 people on board were safely evacuated. But the submerged ship began spilling oil into the ocean, sparking fears in nearby coastal villages.
HMNZS Manawanui was the first ship lost by New Zealand since the Second World War. It was one of nine ships in the country's small naval fleet.
The first investigation report into the incident was released on Friday. It was found that crew members thought there were problems with the ship's propeller when they could not change the ship's direction.
But none of the crew had bothered to check if the ship was still on autopilot before it crashed.
Navy chief Garin Golding told reporters that “the direct cause of the grounding has been determined to be a series of human errors.”
“The muscle memory of the person at the controls should have leaned towards that panel and checked whether the screen said autopilot or not.”
The investigation is expected to conclude next year. Golding said once the investigation is complete, officials will begin separate disciplinary proceedings involving three unnamed crew members.
“I want to reassure the New Zealand public that we will learn from this situation and that it is my responsibility as chief of the navy to regain your trust,” he said.
He added that divers were monitoring the “slow and persistent leak.”
While equipment is expected to be transported to Samoa this week to remove fuel and other pollutants from the ship, New Zealand authorities have not announced plans to remove the ship.
The vessel was carrying out a survey of the waters off Upolu Island when it struck a reef and caught fire during severe and windy weather. It sank shortly after.
In the days that followed, social media users began trolling the ship's female captain, claiming her gender was to blame.
These commentators were denounced at the time by New Zealand's defense minister as “armchair admirals”.
