Crew mistakes caused the sinking of a New Zealand navy ship off Samoan coast, inquiry finds

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Mistakes by members of the crew caused a New Zealand navy ship to plow into a reef off the coast of Samoa, where it caught fire and sank, according to the preliminary findings of a military Court of Inquiry released Friday.

The ship’s crew did not realize autopilot was engaged, believed something else had gone wrong with the ship, and did not check the HMNZS Manawanui was under manual control as it maintained course toward land, a summary of the inquiry’s first report said. The full report has not been made public.

All 75 people on board the vessel evacuated safely as the boat foundered about 1.6 kilometers (a mile) off the coast of Upolu, Samoa, in October. The ship was one of only nine in New Zealand’s navy and was the first the country lost at sea since World War II.

Officials did not know the cause of the sinking at the time, and Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding ordered a Court of Inquiry to investigate.

“The direct cause of the grounding has been determined as a series of human errors which meant the ship’s autopilot was not disengaged when it should have been,” Golding told reporters in Auckland on Friday. “Muscle memory from the person in control should have leaned over to that panel and checked whether the screen said autopilot or not."

The crew "mistakenly believed its failure to respond to direction changes was the result of a thruster control failure,” he said. A number of contributing factors were identified, Golding said, including training, planning, supervision, readiness and risk assessment.

The Court of Inquiry is expected to continue until the first quarter of next year. Golding said given human error was identified as the cause, a separate disciplinary process will begin after the inquiry.

Three crew members who were on the bridge as the disaster unfolded are likely to face such a process, Golding added. They were the officer in control of the ship, an officer supervising that person, and the ship's commanding officer. The navy chief would not name them.

“I want to reassure the public of New Zealand that we will learn from this situation and that it is on me, as the Chief of Navy, to earn back your trust," Golding said.

In the days after the sinking, New Zealand's Defense Minister gave stinging rebukes of “misogynistic” online commenters who directed abusive comments at the ship's captain because she was a woman.

The specialist dive and hydrographic vessel had been in service for New Zealand since 2019 and was surveying the reef that it ran aground on.

The sinking prompted fears in villages along the Samoan coastline near the wreck about damage caused by the ship's diesel spilling into the ocean. New Zealand officials have said since the sinking that most of the fuel burned off in the fire and that no environmental damage has been recorded.

The current flow of fuel into the sea was a “persistent slow leak” which divers are monitoring, Golding said Friday. Specialist equipment is due to be transported from New Zealand to Samoa by sea, departing this week, to remove fuel and other potential pollutants from the ship.

New Zealand officials have not made public plans to remove the ship from the reef.

“This has had an impact to our reputation,” Golding said. “We will own it, fix it and learn from it."

New Zealand Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding, left, and Defense Minister Judith Collins hold a press conference in Auckland, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, following the preliminary findings of the military Court of Inquiry into the sinking of a New Zealand navy ship on a Samoan reef in October. (Lawrence Smith/Stuff via AP)

FILE - In this undated photo provided by the New Zealand Defence Force, Lieutenant Commander Tala Mafile'o of the Royal Tongan Navy presents Commander Yvonne Gray, left, with a carved wooden bowl as a memento of the RNZN's participation in the 50th Anniversary Fleet Review. (New Zealand Defence Force via AP,File)

FILE- In this image released by New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), HMNZS Manawanui arrives in Funafuti Lagoon, Tuvalu, on Sept. 7, 2022. (PO Christopher Weissenborn/NZDF via AP,File)

In this Oct 2024 photo provided by the New Zealand Defence Force, a diver survey's the HMNZS Manawanui on the southern coast of Upulo, Samoa, after the Manawanui ran aground and sank on Oct. 6. (New Zealand Defence Force via AP)

FILE - In this photo provided by the New Zealand Defence Force, divers survey the area around HMNZS Manawanui on the southern coast of Upulo, Samoa, after the Manawanui ran aground and sank on Oct. 6. (AC Jese Somerville/New Zealand Defence Force via AP,File)

FILE - In this photo provided by the New Zealand Defence Force, divers survey the area around HMNZS Manawanui on the southern coast of Upulo, Samoa, after the Manawanui ran aground and sank on Oct. 6. (AC Jese Somerville/New Zealand Defence Force via AP,File)

In this photo provided by the New Zealand Defence Force, divers survey the area around HMNZS Manawanui on the southern coast of Upulo, Samoa, after the Manawanui ran aground and sank on Oct. 6. (SGT Vanessa Parker/New Zealand Defence Force via AP)

In this photo provided by the New Zealand Defence Force, divers survey the area around HMNZS Manawanui on the southern coast of Upulo, Samoa, after the Manawanui ran aground and sank on Oct. 6. (AC Jese Somerville/New Zealand Defence Force via AP,File)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — DeMarvion Overshown wasn't sure he could run down the pass he tipped and turn it into an interception for a touchdown.

The Dallas linebacker pulled it off, and now the chase is on for the Cowboys to try to dig out of a deep hole in pursuit of a fourth consecutive playoff trip, this time without franchise quarterback Dak Prescott.

Overshown's dynamic pick-6 from 23 yards put Dallas in front for good, Rico Dowdle ran for a score in his first career 100-yard game and the Cowboys held on for a 27-20 Thanksgiving Day victory over the New York Giants.

Cooper Rush threw a TD pass, and Dowdle finished with 112 yards Thursday as the Cowboys (5-7) ended a six-game home losing streak going back to a wild-card playoff loss to Green Bay last season.

Dallas has consecutive victories coming off a five-game losing streak but still plenty of work ahead to get back in the postseason picture. Prescott tore a hamstring in Week 9 of what was already a reeling season.

“We just needed that one last week, kind of get the ball rolling, felt that victory feeling in the locker postgame last week,” Rush said of the wild 34-26 victory at Washington. “Everything's kind of coming together, feeling good about it.”

Drew Lock, who started in place of the injured Tommy DeVito a week after the benching and subsequent release of Daniel Jones, lost a fumble following Overshown's pick-6 in a seventh consecutive loss for the Giants (2-10).

Lock ran for 57 yards and a touchdown that ended up being too late to avoid New York's eighth consecutive loss to its NFC East rival.

“This is one of my first times to be able to come in and play a full game with these guys and show them what I can do,” Lock said. “Minus the turnovers and a few things, it was up and down. Some good. Some bad.”

The Giants had their first lead since Week 5 before Overshown put the Cowboys back in front after they had led for just 2 minutes, 15 seconds during their six-game skid at AT&T Stadium.

Leading 7-6, Lock tried to flip a screen pass to Devin Singletary after the running back had been overpowered trying to block Overshown.

The second-year linebacker ended up between Lock and Singletary, tipped the pass into the air toward the end zone, used his speed to run it down and scored untouched.

“I was thinking, ‘Hey, this is a good time to have those afterburners going,’” said Overshown, who missed his rookie season with a knee injury. “I was able to kick in some nitrous, and we were dancing in the end zone after that.”

Overshown also recovered Lock's fumble on the opening possession of the second half to set up Rush's 2-yard TD pass to Brandin Cooks.

He deposited that ball into one of the oversized Salvation Army red kettles made famous by Ezekiel Elliott nearly a decade ago and isn't sure what happened to it. The TD ball might go to his son.

“Before the game, I was telling myself that around this time last year, I was just waiting to show people my testimony,” Overshown said. “Just being out there on the field healthy is all I can ask for.”

Rush — now 2-2 as the starter filling in for Prescott this season, and 7-3 for his career — threw the scoring pass to Cooks the play after the quarterback's apparent fumble into the end zone was overturned on review.

Cooks, who had a diving first-down catch in the final two minutes to clinch the victory, was playing for the first time since Dallas' 20-15 victory over the Giants in Week 4. He ended up with an infected knee after getting an injection in New York the day after that Dallas win.

Dowdle had 46 yards rushing in the first quarter after his longest carry of the season, a 22-yarder. The Dallas offense bogged down after two efficient drives, but a suddenly opportunistic defense kept the Cowboys in front.

Lock had a 28-yard scramble to set up the first New York touchdown and another 21-yarder before his 8-yard TD with 2:18 remaining. But he was sacked six times.

“I don’t like the results,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “Nobody likes the results. But again, I have confidence in the people. Just got to do better.”

Giants: Standout DT Dexter Lawrence said he dislocated his elbow in the second half. ... DL D.J. Davidson injured a shoulder in the first half.

Cowboys: Special teamer Juanyeh Thomas was carted off with a right knee injury in the first half and didn't return. ... CB Josh Butler also didn't return after injuring a knee. ... Rookie LT Tyler Guyton said left in the first half with ankle and knee injuries and was replaced by Chuma Edoga, who made his season debut. Guyton said he has a high ankle sprain.

Giants: New Orleans at home Dec. 8.

Cowboys: The mini-break plus a day before Cincinnati visits Dec. 9.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston (99) and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (97) eat a turkey leg following an NFL football game against the New York Giants in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Cowboy players grab some turkey following an NFL football game against the New York Giants in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Roriguez)

Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu (24) tackles New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) after a catch during the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) celebrates after running back Rico Dowdle (23) ran for a touchdown against the New York Giants during the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) is surrounded by teammates after scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants during the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

New York Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson (21) breaks up a pass to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (81) during the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

New York Giants wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87) leaps over Dallas Cowboys' Damone Clark (18) and Brevyn Spann-Ford (89) on a punt return during the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (13) celebrates as he runs in for a touchdown on interception against the New York Giants during the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (13) celebrates as he runs in for a touchdown on an interception against the New York Giants during the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)