Autopilot error caused Manawanui sinking – report

Minister of Defence Judith Collins, Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding and president of the Court of Inquiry, Commodore Melissa Ross, at the release of the final report into the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui. Photo / Jason Dorday

Staff reporters

Fri, 04 Apr 2025

Human error and the failure to disengage an autopilot control has been confirmed as the root cause of a New Zealand navy ship running aground and sinking in the Pacific, a report has concluded.New Zealand’s Navy and the Defence Minister fronted a media conference today to deliver the final findings into how one of the country’s warships sank off the coast of Samoa last year.The report stated: “The court was satisfied that the direct cause of the grounding of the ship was a series of human errors by Witnesses 2 and 4.”Com...

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