LCS Main Engine casualty

Oh, I have no doubt it’s the same exalted grand poobah. These events happened in rapid succession. One attribute of being a halfway decent engineer involves setting aside pride and cracking open a tech manual when in doubt. We all know that. What really spins my gourd, is that this was apparently done at some point in time- they figured out that they plugged a telltale rather than a casing drain in #2, and yet did not remove the plug or investigate further the consequences of leaving it in. Twas enough to stop the annoying leak, right? Neither did anyone consider the pressure differential when blaming the contamination on the cooler. Lastly, nobody seemed to realize that the pre-lube pump spread contamination throughout the lubeoil system. The assumption was that the saltwater was confined to the sump. Total lack of familiarity and situational awareness.
He had several chances to save that engine. He had several chances to prove he wasn’t an totally incompetent nincompoop and teach his guys something valuable. And he just bowed to the almighty schedule from on high and basically effed over his CO. His punishment was redacted. Anybody hear what was handed down?

1 Like

I’d also like to know why the ship was unable to address the saltwater pump mechanical seal. With parts, that should not be a terribly complicated job.

They may not have known it had a seal. The evidence indicates that no one even knew it was a pump.

1 Like

http://www.cpf.navy.mil/foia/reading-room/

Commander Pacific Fleet Freedom of Information Act webpage holds some other official reports such as:

The USS Antietam Grounding
USS Fort Worth Combining Gear Casualty
etc.

1 Like

I see where the USS Little Rock was just in Buffalo and is the Latest LCS to come out.

Let’s hope that they have it figured out a little better and that the Engineering Crews are trained a little better. I guess time will tell.

She had a breakdown, apparently minor, in the Welland Canal not more than 24hrs after departing Buffalo. I say minor since she has since made it up to Montreal seemingly without issue but she’s been sitting in Montreal for 9+ days now with no public updates other than the official Facebook page saying departure is “imminent” and conditions rapidly deteriorating with ice in the St. Lawrence.

1 Like

What’s that old saying about leopards and their spots?

Maybe the navee thinks hiding in Montreal until the ice goes out will give them time to fix the latest f-up without a lot of taxpayers asking questions.

1 Like

Looks like the Little Rock crew is going to be learning some french this winter.

Give us a break … the piece of crap boondoggle broke down and had to go into the nearest (and foreign to boot) port because it couldn’t make it to an American port and they hoped no one would notice. Now the stupid thing is probably stuck there in the ice for the duration. I wonder what that is costing the American taxpayer.

I love the part about “routine repairs”. Yeah right, they lubed the shitter pumps and changed some lightbulbs.

Can that pork barrel get any more rotten?

1 Like

Another MAJOR problem for the USS Little Rock:

There are some who might say that is the sound of freedom. I think it is the noise created by a thousand pigs sucking lobbyist’s swill from the DC trough.

It’s the sound of breath gasping through the diseased lungs of a once great nation.

2 Likes