THE commanding officer of a New Zealand navy ship, which sank off Samoa’s main island, faces two years in jail if found guilty of dereliction of duty charges.
Commander Yvonne Gray was commanding the HMNZS Manawanui when it hit the reef off Samoa on October 5, 2024.
The crew failed to turn the autopilot off, and Gray was allegedly away from the controls of the multimillion-dollar specialist dive and hydrographic vessel that ran aground while conducting a reef survey near Upolu.
A fire broke out aboard the Manawanui after it ran aground, and the vessel sank.
Gray, who served in the Royal Navy for close to two decades, faces charges including failing to manage the risks of conducting hydrographic work in uncharted waters close to reefs.
The ship was within a nautical mile (1.8km) of a reef when Gray allegedly was away from the controls.
She faces a maximum of two years in jail if convicted.