US Navy: 7 missing sailors found inside damaged destroyer USS Fitzgerald, June 2017

[chloes1]

Looking at the photos on the BBC website, it appears that the Naval ship was "t-boned" (that is NOT the correct nautical term but it's the best way to describe what I'm seeing) by the cargo ship.

That would indicate that the cargo ship hit the Naval vessel. The question is, why wasn't the Fitzgerald able to avoid the collision. I get that neither ship can stop very quickly, but surely the Fitzgerald would be able to take evasive action??

I'm curious as to which ship hit the other. Seems like it would be difficult to cross paths as both are huge and probably don't move real fast. Either way I'm so sad to hear of the loss of life. Seems preventable but I'll withhold my judgement for now. Prayers to the sailors who lost their life and their families.

 

[bluesneakers]

Interesting articles about when ships run into each other:

Two U.S. Navy Ships Collide

The crash happened at the forward end of the ships above the water line, and neither ship is taking on water. The Denver has damage to its bow, or front, section, and the Yukon has damage to its starboard, or right, quarter, according to the Navy. Both ships have gashes in their hulls.

Not the First Time

The Yukon was involved in another crash on February 27, when it collided with a much smaller civilian cargo ship while trying to enter port in Dubai, in the Middle East. The Yukon sustained minor damage in that crash.

Video shows moment two massive container ships crash into each other in Egypt’s Suez Canal

5 Ship Collision Accidents Caught On Cam


Caught on tape: Ships collide at sea

Feb. 6: Both parties are blaming one another for a collision between a Japanese whaling ship and a conservation society ship. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.

I still don't understand how it happens though. I especially don't understand why they collide with something that isn't moving at all, like an iceberg. Watching videos and reading about quantum physics has only left me more confused.

 

[bluesneakers]

All seven bodies have been recovered, which will hopefully bring some comfort to the families:

Gone to Davy Jones’ locker.

RIP to all.

 

[Bently]

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/18/world/asia/navy-uss-fitzgerald-japan.html

The collision occurred in a busy shipping lane south of Tokyo a little before 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, a time when most of the Fitzgerald’s crew would have been asleep. Among the compartments that flooded were cabins where 116 sailors were sleeping, Admiral Aucoin said.

About 400 vessels pass through the shipping lane each day, the Japanese Coast Guard said. Th......

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.

. 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.

...much more at link

 

[Bently]

This article leads one to believe that the captain was in his berth, not at helm, when the Collision occurred.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/18/world/asia/navy-uss-fitzgerald-japan.html

The Fitzgerald’s commanding officer, Bryce Benson, was among those injured in the collision. He was airlifted by a Japanese Coast Guard helicopter to Yokosuka, along with two other crew members, all of whom were conscious, the Navy said.

“His cabin was destroyed. He’s lucky to be alive,” Admiral Aucoin said of Commander Benson.

 

[Bently]

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/18/world/asia/navy-uss-fitzgerald-japan.html

According to Navy veterans, the main investigation ordered by Admiral Aucoin will compile a minute-by-minute timeline of everything that happened before the collision, probably beginning at the moment the ACX Crystal appeared on the Fitzgerald’s radar.....

They will determine whether anyone on the ship’s bridge pulled the collision alarm, a switch that would have caused an extremely loud signal to sound, directing every crew member to rush to their specifically assigned emergency stations on the ship....

The mother of a sailor who survived the collision, Mia Sykes, said her son kept diving to try to save his shipmates until the flooded berth began running out of air pockets, while others —believing the ship was under attack —hurried to man the guns.

Ms. Sykes of Raleigh, N.C., told The Associated Press that her son, Brayden Harden, 19, was knocked out of his bunk by the impact. She said her son told her that four men in his berth, including those sleeping on bunks above and below him died, while three died in the berth above his......

The investigators’ attention will be focused in particular on the Fitzgerald’s commander, Cmdr. Bryce Benson, who was in his stateroom on the destroyer’s starboard side when the Crystal’s bow struck right at that point...

Several experienced ship commanders said the captain is all but certain to be relieved of command as a result of the accident.....

Much more at link

 

[Bently]

- Wall Street Journal
- 7minutes ago
- Collision Crushed Captain's cabin

https://www.wsj.com/articles/seven-...ad-after-collision-with-cargo-ship-1497750366

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

- Wall Street Journal
- 7minutes ago
- Collision Crushed Captain's cabin

https://www.wsj.com/articles/seven-...ad-after-collision-with-cargo-ship-1497750366

Dang, I hit a pay wall.

 

[Bently]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40323069





Marine traffic records suggest that the container ship, the Filipino-flagged ACX Crystal, made a sudden U-turn roughly 25 minutes before the crash. It is not known why it changed course.

Similar records for the USS Fitzgerald are not publicly available.

 

[HMSHood]

How in the world did they manage to collide?

That is what I am wondering too.

A ship colliding with another ship is a very rare event.

 

[Jennifer17]

I wonder if they had all the required lights on?

 

[hey-Debbie]

My heart is with the families of those sailors. 😓 My coworkers son is stationed on a destroyer and my heart sank until I remembered he was in port. My husband is Coast Guard and my son is Air Force. I was crying when I read all the names of those lost. And the crew did a terrific job saving their ship and crew members.

Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk

 

[bluesneakers]

That is what I am wondering too.

A ship colliding with another ship is a very rare event.

Interesting you said that. I was just talking to my husband saying I had no idea it was so common and he said exactly what you said. I guess it's about perception and maybe someone (me) not paying as much attention.

 

[KaaBoom]

I wonder if they had all the required lights on?

They don't use lights. They use radar.

 

[KaaBoom]

I read this explanation on another forum. It makes sense. The destroyer was doing their job to intercept the freighter, identify it, and track it. When the destroyer approached, the Captain of the freighter may have gotten nervous, and concluded that a collision was imminent. With both ships close enough to collide, the freighter turned to go behind the destroyer. At that same time the destroyer turned to go behind the container ship, and they collided. The Captain of the freighter then took post collision action. First he slowed to assess damage to his ship. Then he return to render aid to the other ship. After that was done both ships continued on to their destinations.

 

[Jax49]

[h=1]How Could The Navy Destroyer Collision Happen?[/h]
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/19/533432845/how-could-the-navy-destroyer-collision-happen

There are clues, however, that explain how something like the Fitzgerald's collision could happen, including the photographs of the ships involved, navigation data about the container ship ACX Crystal, and the experience the Navy has had with past mishaps.

 

[Bently]

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/18/world/asia/path-ship-hit-uss-fitzgerald.html?_r=0

The Japanese Coast Guard is trying to determine why a large Philippine ship took almost an hour to report its collision with the U.S.S. Fitzgerald off the coast of Japan on Saturday. Seven sailors were killed.

The Japanese Coast Guard said that at about 1:30 a.m. the ship struck the U.S.S. Fitzgerald. Records show the ship turned sharply to the right around that time.....

The container ship continued east for another half hour before reversing around 2:00 a.m. and returning to the scene. The Japanese Coast Guard and U.S. Navy initially said the collision happened at 2:20 a.m. because the ACX Crystal did not report it until 2:25 a.m.



1:30 am position



2:25 am position

 

[Bently]

From now knowing the corrected time was 1:30 instead of 2:25, seeing the damage to both of these ships it appears to me that the container ship approached it from the rear right side of the Navy vessel ( Since the front starboard side of the container ship is damaged and the port side of the Navy ship is damaged)

The midnight shift Lookouts on the Navy ship look forward into the sides but they usually don't look to the rear.

I wonder how fast each ship was going as that information is now available for the merchant ship but is not available for the navy ship.

Looks like significant damage:

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, damaged by colliding with a Philippine-flagged merchant vessel, is seen off Shimoda, Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo June 17, 2017. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

 

[KaaBoom]

[h=1]How Could The Navy Destroyer Collision Happen?[/h]
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/19/533432845/how-could-the-navy-destroyer-collision-happen

The writer of that article has absolutely no clue what he is talking about. Somebody has to be on the bridge at all times. No way in hell, would they put a container ship on autopilot, and just leave the bridge. The Officer on Watch must stay on the bridge, except in an emergency. Even with autopilot somebody has to monitor what is going on.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

'There was nobody in charge': Japanese cargo ship was on AUTOPILOT when it collided with the USS Fitzgerald says defense expert and no one knew how to turn it off after accident which claimed the lives of seven US Navy sailors

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...e-USS-Fitzgerald-collision.html#ixzz4kSMVhOSi