Classification
- Incident Type: Collision
- Severity: High
- Region: United States
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Secota (YTM-415) |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | United States [US] |
| IMO Number | |
| Call Sign | NAZZ |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | 30.48 |
| Breadth (m) | 7.62 |
| Owner/Operator | U.S. Navy |
| Year Built | |
| Crew Size |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 1986-03-22 |
| Location | Approximately 3 miles south of Midway Atoll, Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 38.4988, -77.3687 |
| Region | United States |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | Secota sank; USS Georgia was reported undamaged. |
| Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost |
Key facts
- Official U.S. Navy historical sources identify the casualty date as 22 March 1986 and the tug as YTB-415, later redesignated YTM-415.
- Secota lost power after a personnel transfer and struck the diving plane of USS Georgia (SSBN-729).
- The tug sank within about two minutes, according to the contemporary Navy account reported by The Washington Post.
- Ten contract crew members were rescued and two were lost.
Narrative
Secota was a U.S. Navy harbor tug based at Midway. On 22 March 1986 it went to a position about three miles south of Midway Atoll to transfer a Georgia crewman who was taking emergency leave. After the transfer, the tug lost power while alongside USS Georgia, an Ohio-class Trident submarine, and struck the submarine's stern diving plane.
The tug sank within about two minutes. The U.S. Naval Institute's contemporary annual account reported that ten contract-hire crew members were rescued and two were missing and presumed dead. Later U.S. Navy historical references record the two contract crewmen as lost. The Washington Post, citing a U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman, reported that the submarine was not damaged. No cargo or environmental consequence is reported in the available accounts.
The available historical sources describe the loss of power and the collision sequence but do not establish why Secota lost power. The incident was initially associated with a 2009 date in a weaker secondary reference, but official Navy historical sources consistently place it on 22 March 1986.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 1986-03-22 | Secota went to a position about three miles south of Midway Atoll to transfer a Georgia crewman taking emergency leave. |
| 1986-03-22 | After the transfer, Secota lost power alongside Georgia and struck the submarine's diving plane. |
| 1986-03-22 | Secota sank within about two minutes; ten contract crew members were rescued and two were lost. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of propulsion after the personnel transfer | Reported | U.S. Navy historical accounts describe Secota losing power while alongside Georgia. The available public sources do not identify the underlying mechanical cause. |
Investigation
The U.S. Navy's official historical record and the 1986 USS Georgia command history document the casualty. Available historical accounts identify the loss of power, collision, sinking, and human consequences, but no separate public investigation report or detailed causal finding has been identified. The underlying reason for the loss of power remains unresolved.
References
- USS Georgia 1986 command history
- National Museum of the U.S. Navy: March 22
- Naval Vessel Register history: Secota
- U.S. Naval Operations in 1986
- Collision Sinks Tug off Midway
- Secota (YTM-415) vessel history and specifications