WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The preliminary results from a military Court of Inquiry revealed that a series of human mistakes led a New Zealand navy vessel to crash into a reef near Samoa, resulting in the ship catching fire and ultimately sinking. This summary of findings was shared publicly on Friday, although the complete report remains unpublished.

The crew aboard the HMNZS Manawanui failed to recognize that the autopilot was engaged, mistakenly believing that another issue was responsible for the ship’s lack of response to navigational commands. They also did not verify if the ship was manually controlled while it continued on its course toward land, as indicated in the inquiry’s initial report.

Fortunately, all 75 crew members on the ship were able to evacuate successfully just a mile away from Upolu’s coast, where the incident occurred last October. The HMNZS Manawanui was one of only nine ships in the New Zealand navy, marking the first loss of a naval vessel at sea since World War II.

At the time of the sinking, the reason for the ship’s predicament was unclear, prompting Rear Admiral Garin Golding, the Chief of Navy, to initiate a Court of Inquiry to investigate the disaster.

Golding stated that the core issue leading to the grounding was identified as a series of errors made by the crew, particularly in failing to disengage the ship’s autopilot at the appropriate time. The crew had erroneously thought that the lack of response to steering changes resulted from a malfunction in the thruster controls. While several other factors contributing to the incident were noted, Golding chose not to disclose those details.

The inquiry is expected to conclude by the first quarter of the coming year. Following the identification of human error as a primary contributor to the incident, a separate disciplinary process will be initiated. Golding emphasized his commitment to regaining public trust, assuring New Zealanders that lessons would be learned from the event.

In the immediate aftermath of the sinking, the Defense Minister of New Zealand criticized derogatory online remarks directed at the ship’s captain, which were described as “misogynistic,” highlighting the challenges faced by women in leadership roles within the military.