THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 10, 1996 TAG: 9606100073
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: 42 lines
A ship undergoing conversion at Newport News Shipbuilding broke loose from a pier and hit a submarine and a destroyer tied to an adjacent dock, authorities said Sunday.
No one was injured in the accident, which occurred shortly after noon.
A shipyard spokesman said winds estimated at 40 mph might have played a role in the accident. But officials will investigate other possibilities, such as the condition of the cables securing the ship.
``It's not one factor. It's a combination of factors,'' said shipyard spokesman Mike Hatfield. ``One of the things we will do is determine exactly what were the circumstances, what did we do and perhaps what should we have done.''
It was the first time in recent memory that a vessel at the huge shipyard on the James River freed itself.
Officials said it was too soon to tell how extensively the accident damaged the Sealift vessel Gilliland, the Los Angeles-class submarine Tucson or the Spruance-class destroyer Deyo.
``It does not look like any significant damage,'' Hatfield said.
The 956-foot, 57,792-ton Sealift vessel broke lose from its berth at Pier 5 and drifted approximately 300 feet sideways to Pier 6. Hatfield said it's possible that the cables securing the ship might have come loose, or that the wind caught hold of the ship's hull.
The Gilliland, one of the largest ships at the yard, is almost as big as an aircraft carrier.
``The ship is designed with many decks inside to carry tanks, helicopters and jeeps,'' he said. ``There is a lot of ship above the water.''
The Gilliland is one of two ships the yard is converting from commercial vessels to cargo ships for the military's Sealift Command. The first of the vessels, the Gordon, is scheduled to be christened July 4.
The 16-year-old Deyo came to the yard for an overhaul last year. The Tucson, delivered to the Navy five months ago, arrived in February for post-sea trials work.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT SHIP WINDS by CNB