SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Navy says human error and a malfunctioning control system are to blame for a November drone accident off the coast of Southern California that injured two sailors and caused $30 million in damage to a warship.
U-T San Diego reported Friday (http://bit.ly/1lx9BKw) that a Navy report recommends administrative action against the warship’s then-skipper, Capt. Andrew Hesser, and three crew members for not doing enough to stop the drone from crashing into the San Diego-based Chancellorsville.
The newspaper obtained a redacted copy of the report through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The report says the control tower at Point Mugu naval base was also slow to react.
Hesser says in a statement that the accident “serves as a reminder of the hazards regularly faced by sailors conducting realistic at-sea training.”
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