USS Port Royal; Pearl Harbor, HI

Pearl Harbor, HI | 2009-Feb-06

Initial Notification: U.S Coast Guard Sector Honolulu notified the NOAA SSC that the USS Port Royal, a Pearl Harbor-based navy guided missile cruiser, is hard aground at the entrance to Pearl Harbor at coordinates 21 degrees 17.48 north, 157 degrees 55.23 west. The location is approximately a half a mile south of Honolulu Airport's Reef Runway and a mile and a half from the entrance of Pearl Harbor. No oil has been released at this time. The vessel is taking on water, however, the water is contained in the space adjacent to the sonar array. It is believed that only the sonar array is aground. Operations to free the vessel, reportedly grounded on sand and crushed coral rock, are in progress. The vessel is reported to be carrying 250,000 gallons of navy marine diesel and 1000 gallons of JP5 aboard.