OK, How did THIS happen?

[Fasglas]

No radar? No topside watch? No lookouts?
Missed SEEING a 29,000 ton freighter bearing down?
Heads will roll, as they certainly should.

Photos at link.

USS Fitzgerald involved in collision with merchant vessel | Daily Mail Online



Captain of stricken $1.5bn US Navy destroyer is airlifted to hospital as up to SEVEN sailors are missing or feared dead after it collided with 29,000 ton cargo ship off Japan

The captain of the stricken USS Fitzgerald was among those injured during the collision of the warship with a 29,000 ton cargo vessel on Saturday as the US Navy said that up to seven missing sailors could be trapped in the mangled wreck.

Rescuers worked to recover the missing crew members as it was tugged back to port without its captain Bryce Benson, who was 'transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka and is reportedly in stable condition', according to a press statement from the US 7th Fleet.

The Wisconsin native, who took command of the AEGIS-equipped vessel in May of 2016, was med-evacuated along with two other crew members from the ship after the collision with the the container vessel ACX Crystal and is in a stable condition.

Meanwhile, the United States has refused to speculate on the shocking accident despite not having an official ambassador to Japan after Caroline Kennedy returned home and the Trump administration not announcing a replacement.*

[Kerrmudgeon]

That must have been a hell of a jolt to do that much damage....
Almost looks like the whole hull is a little warped.

[OddBall]

The ACX Crystal was said to have made an unexplained "u-turn"
Happened at night also.

[VITE1]

[04 commemorative]

crumple zones ?

[boracayjohnny]

OK, How did THIS happen?

Ship no turn.

[Norm]

Will be one long and thorough investigation before the final report is publicized.
Lots of personnel changes up and down the ladder.

[Fasglas]

Originally Posted by boracayjohnny

Ship no turn.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/1...ald-japan.html

Under international maritime rules, a vessel is supposed to give way to another on its starboard side, and the damage indicates that the Crystal had been to the Fitzgerald’s starboard, and therefore had the right of way.

But maritime experts cautioned that many other factors could have led to the crash. Marine traffic records show the Crystal made a series of sharp turns about 25 minutes before the collision, which in crowded seas could cause a cascade of maneuvers by other vessels.

Those are very high-traffic-density areas near coastal waters,” said Bill Doherty, a ship safety investigator and auditor with a long career of service on naval warships. “When a big ship like that makes a drastic change in a high traffic area, that has to be explained.”

Capt. Sean P. Tortora, a veteran merchant marine captain and consultant who said he had sailed through the area where the collision occurred, said the evidence suggested that the Fitzgerald had been at fault.

Captain Tortora described the collision as a “T-bone” in which the bow of the Crystal hit the starboard side of the Fitzgerald. “From what I’ve seen, the Fitzgerald should have given way and passed to the stern of the container ship,” he said.

He added that a common cause of collisions, at sea or on the simulators used for training, is a misjudgment of distance and speed on the part of a captain trying to cross in front of another vessel. “They think they can make it and they make a run for it,” Captain Tortora said.

Asked about Captain Tortora’s comments, a Navy spokesman, Capt. Charles W. Brown, said it was premature to address the cause of the collision.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by Norm

Will be one long and thorough investigation before the final report is publicized.
Lots of personnel changes up and down the ladder.

I have spent a lot of time on the bridge of a DDG in crowded shipping lanes at night. It is not as easy as you may think. Throw in phrases like "unexplained U-turn" and all bets are off.

My thoughts are with the families of those who won't be coming back home.

The first thing I thought when I saw the pictures was, Shit. That's right in 2 berthings... and the COs cabin. If you count bridge windows starting at the front, straight down from the 7th you will see what appears to be a white door. It's a little tough to tell, but I think that is the CO's cabin door which opens from the inside of the ship. His rack would be to the left of that from the perspective of the picture, directly below what is left of the bridge wing. The whole damn space is gone. I have no idea how he lived if he was in there when it happened.

...and the fact that he was there is a piece of the puzzle. That tells me that the OOD (person on the bridge) and whoever was running combat (the radars) either didn't have a lot of warning of a turn into them, they themselves violated the rules of the road and crossed the bow of the freighter, or they just flat out missed the CPA of 0. From the angles of contact, the freighter was the stand on vessel (has right of way) and Fitzgerald was give way. Of course that scenario changes as soon as they were altering course. A very quick review of the course plots will tell from a legal standpoint who was at fault.

The investigation as to WHY and HOW is a much longer one.


EDIT .... and I was too slow with the Rules of the Road answer.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by Fasglas

He added that a common cause of collisions, at sea or on the simulators used for training, is a misjudgment of distance and speed on the part of a captain trying to cross in front of another vessel. “They think they can make it and they make a run for it,” Captain Tortora said.

I believe it was at night. Correct?

It is MUCH harder to judge the speed, size, and even course of other vessels visually than most people realize. I've seen boats that appeared to be small craft turn out to be a big group 3 merchant as they got closer. You wouldn't think that something that size could sneak up on you but it absolutely can, especially at night. Things such as reflections or other lights from heavy traffic are often disorienting... especially at the tail end of a late night watch when about the only thing keeping you going is your 5th cup of coffee. It doesn't take long at all to find yourself in a HOLY SHIT situation.

With that said, I can't imagine missing that track on the nav radar and CIC also missing it completely. Short of a radical maneuver from the freighter, they had to be able to see a CPA (closest point of approach) WAY under what is acceptable which should have prompted a very specific series of actions, not the least of which is a contact report to the CO.

I said originally that my thoughts are with the families which is a very true statement, but also with the rest of that crew, including the junior officer that was standing OOD that night that will have to live with this for the rest of their life. You know it wasn't intentional and at first look it appears that the DDG was in the wrong. I don't know how I could reconcile a mistake on my part (assuming that is what happened) costing 7 of my shipmates their lives.

[Norm]

What’s the catch all of the “rules of the road”……..take all precautions to avoid a collision. I’m sure that will be thoroughly investigated from every which angle imaginable. Unfortunately there was loss of life, very sad.

[boracayjohnny]

Originally Posted by Fasglas

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/1...ald-japan.html

Under international maritime rules, a vessel is supposed to give way to another on its starboard side, and the damage indicates that the Crystal had been to the Fitzgerald’s starboard, and therefore had the right of way.

But maritime experts cautioned that many other factors could have led to the crash. Marine traffic records show the Crystal made a series of sharp turns about 25 minutes before the collision, which in crowded seas could cause a cascade of maneuvers by other vessels.

Those are very high-traffic-density areas near coastal waters,” said Bill Doherty, a ship safety investigator and auditor with a long career of service on naval warships. “When a big ship like that makes a drastic change in a high traffic area, that has to be explained.”

Capt. Sean P. Tortora, a veteran merchant marine captain and consultant who said he had sailed through the area where the collision occurred, said the evidence suggested that the Fitzgerald had been at fault.

Captain Tortora described the collision as a “T-bone” in which the bow of the Crystal hit the starboard side of the Fitzgerald. “From what I’ve seen, the Fitzgerald should have given way and passed to the stern of the container ship,” he said.

He added that a common cause of collisions, at sea or on the simulators used for training, is a misjudgment of distance and speed on the part of a captain trying to cross in front of another vessel. “They think they can make it and they make a run for it,” Captain Tortora said.

Asked about Captain Tortora’s comments, a Navy spokesman, Capt. Charles W. Brown, said it was premature to address the cause of the collision.

I was being funny but seriously, a ship Captains career will be over given a thorough investigation. Which one is now the question. Unless, of course, there was some mechanical issue.

Even worse, the loss of life.

[Milton Fox]

[VatorMan]

This was a fcking floating island. Everyone on the bridge and CIC should be in the brig. Don't give me this traffic bullshit.

Guaranteed everyone that was killed was either engineering or deck. **** you ops piece of shit assholes.

[mrvette]

U turn by a freighter in middle of the damn ocean,??? WTF??

sounds like islam to me.....freighter is from islamic dominated land...... saw a chance to do harm and took it.....

[VatorMan]

It was.A. ****ING.DESTROYER. The most manuverable ship in the USN. Goddammt ! I Always did my job making turns and keeping the power up. Twigets always spent their time in the AC spaces- letting you know they are the reason you don't hit anything. **** twigets. They killed engineers.

[Allan]

Originally Posted by Norm

Will be one long and thorough investigation before the final report is publicized.
Lots of personnel changes up and down the ladder.

a career ender for several.

[Norm]

On Monday morning in Japan, the Navy's 7th Fleet identified the seven sailors who died. Navy divers had recovered the bodies after the severely damaged Fitzgerald returned to the fleet's home in Yokosuka, Japan, on Saturday with assistance from tug boats.

The victims were Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, Virginia; Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego, California; Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, Connecticut; Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, Texas; Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlosvictor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, California; Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Maryland; and Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, from Elyria, Ohio.

In a statement, acting Navy Secretary Sean Stackley said, "We are all deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our fellow shipmates. ... As details emerge, we can all be proud of the heroic effort by the crew to tend to the needs of those injured and save the ship from further damage while returning safely to port."
He thanked "our Japanese allies" for their swift assistance, and said the Navy will full investigate the cause.

The damage to the destroyer suggests that the container ship, the ACX Crystal, might have slammed into it at a high speed, raising questions about communication between the two vessels in an area where as many as 400 ships pass through every day, according to Japan's coast guard. Most congestion occurs in the early hours of the day, and fast currents make it a tricky area that requires experience and skill to navigate.
The ACX Crystal weighs 29,060 tons and is 222 meters (730 feet) long, much larger than the 8,315-ton destroyer.

The container ship's left bow was dented and scraped, and accident investigators from the Japanese transport ministry found further damage below its waterline. Footage from Japanese broadcaster NHK showed a sharp horizontal cut across the bow area, which looked like a shark's mouth. Many scratches were also seen in the frontal area.
Some ship trackers showed the container ship making a U-turn before the collision, a move that has raised questions about what happened. Both Aucoin and the Japanese coast guard, however, said it was too early to determine what led to the collision.

Taken in part from an AP news story, can't link it.

[Craig]

I rode subs. There was nobody in a bunk when we were in maneuvering channels (maneuvering watch set); every station manned with backup, look outs topside, navigation and the bridge and the con fully manned. The report indicates a congested area, I don't get this... Even if this monster ship made an unexpected turn (which would have taken a bunch of time and distance), there was time for the destroyer to take evasive action.

[Fasglas]

Originally Posted by Craig

I rode subs. There was nobody in a bunk when we were in maneuvering channels (maneuvering watch set); every station manned with backup, look outs topside, navigation and the bridge and the con fully manned. The report indicates a congested area, I don't get this... Even if this monster ship made an unexpected turn (which would have taken a bunch of time and distance), there was time for the destroyer to take evasive action.

I rode the boats as well. Maneuvering, in ANY degree required full attention to not only us, but a sharp eye on anyone around us. SOP

Further, I simply cannot understand how the Crystal was "not seen" by ANYONE on the Fitzgerald until the point of impact. Absolute BS. If this area is as busy/dangerous as we're told, how could this happen?

NOW we hear the Crystal was operating at "High Speed." Really? How fast is that? 10 kts? If it was moving fast enough for water skiing, it does nothing to change the fact that the Fitzgerald was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Night Ops, the "bone in the teeth" of the Crystal should have been substantial, thus could be seen if anyone had been looking.