New Problem Hits LPD 17: Bad Work Documentation

15 Apr 2011 By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS DefenseNews

The U.S. Navy's most problem-plagued ship has a whole new set of issues, the service said - bad documentation of the work being done to fix it. The San Antonio (LPD 17), first of a class of large amphibious transport dock ships, has been under repair at Norfolk, Va., for over a year, with much of the work being done by the Earl Industries shipyard. The work was expanded from its original scope to include a comprehensive effort to fix a wide range of fundamental problems with the ship, which has never been considered fully operational since her delivery in July 2005. Now, said Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), audits of the work being done on the ship's four main propulsion diesels revealed "unacceptable, improper documentation in the overhaul reports" by Earl and Fairbanks Morse, makers of the Colt Pielstick diesel engines. "There were missing reports; reports with data indicating out-of-specification conditions without indication of what repairs were performed; and reports with missing data or inconsistent data," NAVSEA said in a statement. "This kind of performance fails to meet the maintenance standards we expect for ship repair by our contractors and their subcontractors." A Navy investigation is ongoing to check the work and see if any material deficiencies exist. "So far there is no indication of a material problem but the investigation is continuing," said NAVSEA spokesman Chris Johnson. The ship is scheduled to get underway from Norfolk for sea trials in late April, Johnson said April 15, but so far the investigation has not affected the trials schedule. Personnel actions also appear to be underway as a result of the improper documentation. NAVSEA declined to comment, saying it would violate privacy policies. Work on the San Antonio was extended last year as the overhaul revealed more problems with the ship stemming from its protracted construction period at Northrop Grumman's Avondale shipyard near New Orleans. Among the work was the discovery that bolts holding down the engines and main reduction gear were improperly installed, requiring all the bolts to be reworked. Similar problems were found on other ships in the class. A separate problem with the ship's diesel engines involved particles getting into the lube oil system. The Navy and Fairbanks Morse believe they now have cured that issue. A sister ship of the San Antonio, the second-in-class New Orleans, has been under repair at San Diego since the fall. The Mesa Verde and Green Bay, third and fourth ships in the class, are currently deployed. The fifth ship, New York, recently completed an overhaul at Norfolk. The San Diego is scheduled to be delivered this summer from Huntington Ingalls Industries at Pascagoula, Miss., formerly Northrop Grumman. The Navy plans to build 11 of the 26,000-ton ships.