USS Fitzgerald collision with the ACX Crystal

[Guest]

Six investigations launched so far and they've released a statement from the Captain of the ACX Crystal:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN19H13C

[Guest]

Maritime Mystery: Why a U.S. Destroyer would fail to dodge a cargo ship


https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/23/worl ... ision.html

[Guest]

Investigators believe FITZGERALD crew fought flooding for an hour before distress call reached help.

https://news.usni.org/2017/06/21/invest ... ached-help

I can understand that. Having been in the navy and spending time both in combat and on the bridge during drills, the amount of activity is staggering, and I cannot even begin to fathom the activity during an actual casualty. Even with DCC taking over for the casualty, the bridge still was coordinating the vessel maneuvering at the time. They also could have been hailing over bridge to bridge vhf for a very long time, given the time of the casualty, before any one picked it up.

All of this depends on if the ship went to general quarters, which would have further added an immense weight to the situation at hand. Given that everyone has a different GQ position than what their current watch rotation is.

[hugh3]

No pilot required in those waters. Civilian vessel requires licensed personnel as required by country of registry. Naval ship is a public vessel and crewed by military personnel of country of origin.

[lance]

were either vessel carrying a pilot?

[wannabfree]

Investigators believe FITZGERALD crew fought flooding for an hour before distress call reached help.

https://news.usni.org/2017/06/21/invest ... ached-help

[JohnH]

As to the erratic maneuvers of the container ship, I think they occurred AFTER the collision, likely because it went back to be sure the Fitzgerald was not in immediate distress and not about to sink.

[Greenshirt]

This is one of the better AIS track reports I've seen on the ATX Crystal:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... erald.html

Of course there's no track on the USS Fitzgerald because the US Navy refuses to participate in AIS for "security reasons". I'm surprised this doesn't happen to their ships more often.

Even IF the the ATX Crystal was in the right, they still might have been able to do something if they were receiving an AIS signal from a potentially interfering ship

It's pretty obvious why naval warships do not participate in transmitting AIS, they do however monitor AIS actively on both bridge and combat center. Ships have sailed for thousands of years without AIS, its called good seamanship. Someone, or everyone, was not paying attention.

There is no question that the Fitz was the giveway ship, and regardless of it being the giveway ship, they should have seen that freighter not only illuminated by its running lights, but also on multiple radars set to different ranges.

Both the bridge and combat have some questions to answer

[DocF]

The articles referenced in the various posts really helped me to solidify my position that the Captain of the USS Fitzgerald is in a very difficult situation. While there are reasons why it might not apply, the Fitzgerald was showing a green light and was the burdened vessel. Beyond that, there is little to be considered unless the Navy desires to create a circumstance where it is not the responsible party.

[wannabfree]

The more I read in these articles, the more I realize how little I actually know of a life at sea. There are some very knowledgeable and seasoned sailors that are very carefully reserving any and all judgement as they weigh each additional fact coming forward. It is actually refreshing to realize how little actual finger pointing there has been. There are quite possibly several elements from both vessels than contributed to lesser and/or greater degrees of fault. Unfortunately, none of those findings will bring those young men back, nor erase the trauma of all surviving crew members of either vessel.

http://thediplomat.com/2017/06/us-warsh ... crew-lost/

[Guest]

Another insightful take on what is know so far:

https://gcaptain.com/uss-fitzgerald-fault/

[geysir]

That area is extremely busy. I recall my first time as tanker third mate alone on the bridge at night going through there. I thought our course was wrong because it looked like the radar was showing land ahead. Nope, just a wall of fishing and other vessels. Not a place to be at night meeting a navy ship with reduced radar cross section and turned-off AIS.

[Guest]

This is one of the better AIS track reports I've seen on the ATX Crystal:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... erald.html

Of course there's no track on the USS Fitzgerald because the US Navy refuses to participate in AIS for "security reasons". I'm surprised this doesn't happen to their ships more often.

Even IF the the ATX Crystal was in the right, they still might have been able to do something if they were receiving an AIS signal from a potentially interfering ship

[Darryl]

Yes, very interesting read. So many people had to be at fault.

[hugh3]

I do believe the "ACX CRYSTAL" (showing her red light)was the Privileged vessel. The "USS FITZGERALD" was both the keep away vessel and/or overtaking vessel.

[wannabfree]

Excellent reading this morning on the tragedy off of the coast of Japan where seven US Naval Seamen lost their lives early Saturday morning.

https://arstechnica.com/information-tec ... alf-of-it/