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| MSC recorded 4 mishaps, a dramatic increase from the 0.8 average over the previous decade |
Navy Sees Sharp Rise in Afloat Mishaps During 2024, Breaking Multi-Year Trend
Analysis of the Navy's afloat safety data reveals a significant spike in Class A mishaps during fiscal year 2024, with 10 total incidents – nearly double the decade average of 5.2 incidents per year. This represents one of the most notable year-over-year increases in recent naval safety statistics.
Breaking down the numbers:
- Surface ship mishaps rose to 4 in 2024, compared to the 10-year average of 3.9
- Submarine incidents increased to 2 in 2024, four times higher than the 0.5 decade average
- Military Sealift Command (MSC) recorded 4 mishaps, a dramatic increase from the 0.8 average over the previous decade
The 2024 surge stands in stark contrast to relatively stable numbers seen between 2015-2023, where annual totals typically ranged from 2-5 incidents. The MSC spike is particularly notable, as the command had averaged less than one major mishap per year over the previous decade.
When measured against the fleet size, the 2024 mishap rate of 2.07 per 100 ships represents a significant increase from the historical rate of 1.08 over the previous ten years. This uptick has prompted increased attention to maritime safety protocols and operational risk management across the naval fleet.
The data suggests 2024 marks one of the most challenging years for naval maritime safety in recent history, though it's worth noting that the total number of incidents remains relatively small given the size and operational tempo of the fleet.
Navy Sees Spike Afloat Mishaps in 2024, Says Safety Center Data - USNI News
The Navy had its most class A afloat mishaps in 10 years in Fiscal Year 2024, according to data collected by the Naval Safety Command.
Of the mishpas in FY 2024, four of occurred on surface ships, four on Military Sealift Command ships and two on submarines.
The number of afloat mishaps jumped from eight in Fiscal Year 2023. While 10 afloat mishaps might not appear as a large number, the average amount of class A afloat mishaps between fiscal years 2014 and 2024 is 5.3 incidents a year.
At the end of each fiscal year, the Naval Safety Command, formerly known as the Navy Safety Center, publishes a report on all of the class A mishaps and fatalities for the Navy and the Marine Corps. Each report contains 10 years of data. The report also includes a small summary of each incident. Suicides and deaths from illness are not included.
The most recent afloat mishap on a surface warfare ship was on May 1 when a landing craft air cushion (LCAC) crashed during night operations. According to the one sentence summary, the crash resulted in injuries to personnel and damaged assets.
The other three class A afloat mishaps on surface warfare ships were all fatalities, including the Jan. 11 death of two Navy SEALs who died during a boarding operation off the coast of Somalia. On April 28, a sailor fell overboard during a security boat training in Weapons Station Yorktown, Va., and died. Another service member died after falling overboard while underway. A location was not given.
A service member on a submarine died on May 24 after being electrocuted. The other submarine class A afloat mishap was a training incident on Dec. 1, 2023, resulting in damaged equipment.
The four class A afloat mishaps on Military Sealift Command ships did not result in any injuries to crew members.
While the Navy saw the most class A afloat mishaps in 10 years, it experienced more class A aviation mishaps in FY 2024. The Navy had 11 mishaps in 2024, an increase from the previous fiscal year, but lower than fiscal years 2022 or 2021.
The average for fiscal years 2014-2024 was 11.5 mishaps per year. Mishaps include those with manned and unmanned aircraft. There were no fatalities among the 11 incidents.
Of the deaths tracked by the Naval Safety Command, car crashes continue to be the highest, with motorcycles in particular accounting for 46 percent of deaths in FY 2023.
Motorcycle deaths typically account for the most deaths of those recorded by the Naval Safety Command. In FY 2023, they also accounted for 46 percent.
FY 2024 and 2023 had the highest motorcycle deaths in the 10 years of data collected by the Naval Safety Center. Total car crashes varied from year to year, although they made up the majority of fatalities every year.
The same holds true for the Marine, who saw a total of 21 vehicle crash deaths, of which 10 were motorcycle deaths.
In total, the Marines had 36 deaths, a third of which were on-duty. This included the five Marines who died in a CH-53E Super Stallion crash in February.
In April, a Marine died during aviation ground operations.
The Marines had a total of six aviation mishaps in FY 2024. On average, the service sees 6.6 aviation mishaps a year.
The Marines had three ground mishaps, all which were fatal, resulting in the deaths of three Marines.
There were also three on-duty motor vehicle mishaps, with each resulting in the death of a Marine. This included the December 2023 tactical vehicle rollover that killed one Marine and sent 14 to the hospital.
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