Human Error Leads to Sinking of HMNZS Manawanui Off Samoa

The HMNZS Manawanui sank after being left on autopilot, leading to a military inquiry and potential disciplinary actions for crew errors.

L 17%

C 83%

Overview

A summary of the key points of this story verified across multiple sources.

A military inquiry determined that human error caused the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui near Samoa last October. The ship, left on autopilot, struck a reef during a hydrographic survey. Crew believed there was a thruster malfunction, but failed to disengage autopilot, leading to a series of human errors. All 75 crew members were safely evacuated before the ship caught fire and sank. This incident marks New Zealand's first naval loss since World War II, prompting calls for improved training and operational protocols.

Written using shared reports from

6 sources

Report issue

Analysis

Compare how each side frames the story — including which facts they emphasize or leave out.

Analysis unavailable for this viewpoint.

How we categorize media bias

Sources (6)

Compare how different news outlets are covering this story.

Sort By

Center (5)

Military inquiry finds human error caused the sinking of a New Zealand navy ship off the coast of Samoa in October

ABC News•1y ago

Crew mistakes caused the sinking of a New Zealand navy ship off Samoan coast, inquiry finds

Associated Press•1y ago

New Zealand navy ship hit reef and sank because crew mistakenly left it on "autopilot," inquiry finds

CBS News•1y ago

A $63M Royal New Zealand Navy ship that capsized off Samoa was left on autopilot, investigation finds

Business Insider•1y ago

Limited access — this outlet restricts by article count and/or content type.

NATO partner's warship sank after being left on autopilot

Newsweek•1y ago

History

See how this story has evolved over time.

This story does not have any previous versions.