Royal Navy warships crashed into each other ‘due to faulty rewiring’

Two Royal Navy warships collided in Bahrain at the end of last week because one was incorrectly rewired, meaning that it unexpectedly went into reverse when it was set to go forward, military sources have said.

The minehunter HMS Chiddingfold went backwards into HMS Bangor, which was lying at port, ripping a hole in a cabin above the waterline, in an embarrassing blunder that the defence secretary, Grant Shapps, insisted did not reflect incompetence.

Nobody was hurt in the incident and the navy said late on Friday evening it was investigating. But naval sources said on Sunday they believed the cause of the accident was a simple rewiring error in a recently inspected vessel.

If the rewiring had been carried out in a home port, they would have noticed on the way out to Bahrain - surely?

No, it must have been done locally. So does Grant Shapps' remark mean that there is a fully competent saboteur working in the yard that did it?

Royal Navy warships crashed into each other ‘due to faulty rewiring’

Two Royal Navy warships collided in Bahrain at the end of last week because one was incorrectly rewired, meaning that it unexpectedly went into reverse when it was set to go forward, military sources have said.

The minehunter HMS Chiddingfold went backwards into HMS Bangor, which was lying at port, ripping a hole in a cabin above the waterline, in an embarrassing blunder that the defence secretary, Grant Shapps, insisted did not reflect incompetence.

Nobody was hurt in the incident and the navy said late on Friday evening it was investigating. But naval sources said on Sunday they believed the cause of the accident was a simple rewiring error in a recently inspected vessel.

If the rewiring had been carried out in a home port, they would have noticed on the way out to Bahrain - surely?

No, it must have been done locally. So does Grant Shapps' remark mean that there is a fully competent saboteur working in the yard that did it?

Yeah, that article really does have me scratching my head.

“HMS Chiddingfold’s motor was wired incorrectly and full ahead gave full astern,” a navy insider said. The vessel had been recently inspected by officers at the maritime capability, trials and assessment team, they added.

Surely that would have been one of the tests done after the work was carried out? When deploying to the Gulf, they must have used full ahead at some point in the trip? If the "maritime capability, trials and assessment team" were doing an assessment of the ship, surely full ahead would have been one of the things they would have done at some stage?

I'm also wondering what sort of motor & drive arrangement would turn in the correct direction for all modes other than flat out forward or reverse?

---

Grant
Darwin NT

I'm also wondering what sort of motor & drive arrangement would turn in the correct direction for all modes other than flat out forward or reverse?

Error at the switch control board, not necessarily at the motor? I'm sure at those power levels those are some massive relays.

Sometimes, you get lucky.

Driver escapes unhurt after hurtling over collapsed Routh Creek Bridge in Queensland's Gulf

---

Grant
Darwin NT

I'm also wondering what sort of motor & drive arrangement would turn in the correct direction for all modes other than flat out forward or reverse?

Error at the switch control board, not necessarily at the motor? I'm sure at those power levels those are some massive relays.

They still using relays? I'd have thought they'd be using solid state switching instead of relays for non VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) motors these days?

---

Grant
Darwin NT

There's a couple of light plane crashes to report.

Rio Tinto flight crashes, killing multiple people on board flight to Diavik mine in Canada.

A person has died after a light plane from a Sydney flying school came crashing down in the city’s south west.

While a find on a beach may explain why a Robinson R66 came down killing the pilot and his dog.

A camera found washed up on the NSW north coast is proving “invaluable” to investigators working to understand the final moments of pilot Edwin Kraft.

For the timid readers, in Politics, about Tesla failures. https://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=85960&postid=2131989#2131989

A very lucky landing.

ADS-B data show the aircraft drifting to the right during rollout. It entered the grass, crossed taxiway D before returning to the runway after about 450 meters.

I'll be interesed in the result of that investigation- my initial Wild Arse Guess is that the centre/right of the runway was clear, but the left hand side was covered in snow/ice.
Under full braking, the right-hand landing gear wheels grabbed, the left hand lading gear wheels lost all grip, causing the plane to swerve sharply to the right across the runway and off on to the grass.

The pilots did a good job to recover & get back on to the runway.

---

Grant
Darwin NT

A very lucky landing.

ADS-B data show the aircraft drifting to the right during rollout. It entered the grass, crossed taxiway D before returning to the runway after about 450 meters.

I'll be interesed in the result of that investigation- my initial Wild Arse Guess is that the centre/right of the runway was clear, but the left hand side was covered in snow/ice.
Under full braking, the right-hand landing gear wheels grabbed, the left hand lading gear wheels lost all grip, causing the plane to swerve sharply to the right across the runway and off on to the grass.

The pilots did a good job to recover & get back on to the runway.

I was under the impression that Airbus A320 had a full computer controlled anti-lock breaking system. Asymmetry in the thrust reversers, a partial spoiler deployment, strong crosswind these are also usual suspects.

I was under the impression that Airbus A320 had a full computer controlled anti-lock breaking system.

Yeah, but i'm wondering just how effective that would be in this situation- 250km/h, tricycle wheel arrangement, ice/ compacted snow instead of water causing the loss of grip.
Right hand wheel is still providing significant braking, while the left is providing little if any. At that speed & with that sort of torque, the front landing gear wheels wouldn't be providing a whole lot of lateral grip IMHO.


It was a very abrupt change in direction. From the cloud of snow/water/mud it appeared that both thrust reversers were active. Partial spoiler deployment i would have thought to cause a more gradual change in direction. Weathervaning (from a cross wind), certainly a possibility, although the reported conditions at the time make it unlikely IMHO.
EYVI 031120Z 28013KT 4600 -DZ BR OVC003 04/04 Q0996 NOSIG
EYVI 031220Z 28013KT 5000 -DZ BR OVC003 05/04 Q0996 NOSIG
EYVI 031320Z 27012KT 5000 -DZ BR OVC003 04/04 Q0997 NOSIG

Although there was a crash at take-off in Colorado years ago due to weathervaning where the reported windspeed was within limits (from the take-off end of the runway, not the area where they started their take-off roll), but the actual windspeed where the aircraft was, was estimated to be almost double the maximum safe limit.

---

Grant
Darwin NT

I was under the impression that Airbus A320 had a full computer controlled anti-lock breaking system.

Yeah, but i'm wondering just how effective that would be in this situation- 250km/h, tricycle wheel arrangement, ice/ compacted snow instead of water causing the loss of grip.
Right hand wheel is still providing significant braking, while the left is providing little if any. At that speed & with that sort of torque, the front landing gear wheels wouldn't be providing a whole lot of lateral grip IMHO.

Implemented like the traction control system in a car, it should have released the brake on the non-slipping side in a few miliseconds.

It was a very abrupt change in direction. From the cloud of snow/water/mud it appeared that both thrust reversers were active. Partial spoiler deployment i would have thought to cause a more gradual change in direction.

Partial might be one wing only deployed or just one segment. It also would seriously change how much weight is on the gear on that wing. I haven't seen any video.

Weathervaning (from a cross wind), certainly a possibility, although the reported conditions at the time make it unlikely IMHO.
EYVI 031120Z 28013KT 4600 -DZ BR OVC003 04/04 Q0996 NOSIG
EYVI 031220Z 28013KT 5000 -DZ BR OVC003 05/04 Q0996 NOSIG
EYVI 031320Z 27012KT 5000 -DZ BR OVC003 04/04 Q0997 NOSIG
Although there was a crash at take-off in Colorado years ago due to weathervaning where the reported windspeed was within limits (from the take-off end of the runway, not the area where they started their take-off roll), but the actual windspeed where the aircraft was, was estimated to be almost double the maximum safe limit.

One thing to remember is momentum. If it was going straight down the runway and starts sliding, it is going to continue straight down the runway no matter which way it is facing. It needs a sideways force to move sideways, some type of significant asymmetry. Of course we are assuming it wasn't pilot commanded even unintentionally or unknowingly.

Crosswind landings in heavy iron are different than in trainers. In trainers you are taught to crab most of the way down and then slip the last couple hundred feet to the ground. That way the nose is pointed down the runway but the wing into the crosswind is lower. In heavy iron you have an engine pod hanging under the wing so you can't dip it into the wind, so you land in a crab and have to kick the nose straight with the rudder after the mains hit. In a trainer that would break the landing gear.

I agree those winds seem too low to be an issue and there is no G in the METAR.

Partial might be one wing only deployed or just one segment. It also would seriously change how much weight is on the gear on that wing. I haven't seen any video.

Scroll down the page of the link i posted, under the map is a video- although from the distance it was recorded, flaps & spoilers aren't really discernible.

---

Grant
Darwin NT

So much for safety.
From the video...

Safety is our number one priority.
A temporary 40mph limit was introduced due to ongoing surface water flooding.
Transport for London

Further down the written report...

TfL has said the 50mph sign was put up by a third party - it has since been replaced with the correct signage and TfL is investigating how the unauthorised sign was put up.

Signage error
Hope the drivers prosecute & win.

At first glance, I thought someone had misspelt your name. You Cannot be Cirrus !

And another one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b0yQOWVXxU

Another of those flying fan thingies didn't make it home and no word yet of those in it.

Rescuers search for 5 Marines after finding their helicopter in a California forest.

Rescue crews are searching for five US Marines after finding their military helicopter in Southern California’s Pine Valley, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said Wednesday.

The CH-53E Super Stallion had been “reported overdue” en route late Tuesday from a base near Las Vegas to one in San Diego, the US Marine Corps said.

Searchers early Wednesday combed difficult, muddy terrain for the aircraft amid a rain-snow mix, according to Cal Fire and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

“The Marines were flying a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from Creech Air Force Base to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Feb. 6, 2024, when the aircraft was reported overdue,” Capt. Stephanie Leguizamon with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said, adding the Civil Air Patrol also was involved with the search.....

It looks like Boeing isn't the only 1 having problems with bits falling off.

Branson’s space tourism flights have been grounded after a part came off the mothership during its most recent flight.

Branson’s Virgin Galactic has been grounded after a small part came off the mothership of its space plane, Unity, on its most recent space tourism flight.

The company said an alignment pin detached from the launch pylon of its mothership, Eve, during its latest flight, ‘Galactic 06’, on January 26.

It said it became aware of the detached pin during routine post-flight reviews and “at no time” did the missing pin “pose a safety impact to the vehicles or the crew on board”.

On board ‘Galactic 06’ were four private astronauts from three different countries and two crew.

It costs $US450,000 (about $690,000) for a ticket to travel on Unity.

Virgin Galactic is now working with the US Federal Aviation Administration to review the issue.....

Just another long day for a tradie?

The terrifying moment a driver falls asleep at the wheel and crossed onto the wrong side of the road has been caught on three dashcams.

2 people dead after small plane attempts emergency landing on southwest Florida interstate

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Two people have died after a small plane attempted to make an emergency landing on Interstate 75 in southwest Florida on Friday afternoon, colliding with a vehicle and bringing traffic to a halt as a massive plume of black smoke rose into the air.

The crash landing happened near the Pine Ridge Road exit in Collier County, just north of where the interstate heads east toward Fort Lauderdale along what is known as Alligator Alley.

Brianna Walker saw the wing of the plane drag the car in front of hers and slam into the wall.

The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Bombardier Challenger 600 jet and said five people were aboard when the crash happened around 3:15 pm.

The safer they make things, the dumber people become.

Brand new car rolls through Carrickalinga home after driver reportedly forgets handbrake
Maybe their other car has an auto parking brake? Even so, you still put the transmission in gear, or park if it's an auto.

---

Grant
Darwin NT

I bet that his insurance company won't be too pleased about it as that house is a write off.

Cheers.