The commander of the submarine USS Montpelier has been relieved after an investigation into a collision at sea that occurred off the Florida coast in October, the Navy announced Friday.
Cmdr. Thomas Winter was relieved due to loss of confidence in his ability to command, the Navy said. He has been reassigned to administrative duties at Submarine Force Atlantic in Norfolk.
Cmdr. Stephen Mongold will assume all duties as commanding officer of the Montpelier. Mongold previously served as executive assistant for the commander of the Submarine Force.
The Norfolk-based submarine collided with the guided-missile cruiser USS Jacinto during routine operations on Oct. 13. No one was injured in the mishap.
The main cause of the crash was “human error, poor teamwork by the Montpelier watch team, and the commanding officer’s failure to follow established procedures for submarines operating at periscope depth,” according to a Navy press release.
The investigation also revealed unspecified “contributing factors” that relate to training and oversight within Fleet Forces Command.