Mistakes by members of the crew caused a New Zealand navy ship to plow into a reef off the coast of Samoa, where it caught fire and sank, according to the preliminary findings of a military Court of Inquiry released Friday.

A New Zealand naval ship which crashed into a coral reef before it caught fire and sank had been left on autopilot, an official inquiry has found. Crew members of the HMNZS Manawanui had thought the ship was under manual control while sailing in Samoan waters.

Crew aboard the HMNZS Manawanui left the ship on autopilot, which caused it to crash into a reef and sink, according to a preliminary investigation.

New Zealand naval ship HMNZS Manawanui was on autopilot when it crashed into a coral reef, caught ablaze and sank in Samoan waters, according to an official inquiry.

A New Zealand navy ship crashed into a coral reef and sank last month because the ship's crew had mistakenly left the vessel on autopilot, a government inquiry has found. Crew members of the HMNZS Manawanui had thought the ship was under manual control while sailing in Samoan waters.