USS Fitzgerald [DDG-62] Accident

Terrible Accident in Philippine Sea........

https://www.navytimes.com/articles/stricken-destroyer-fitzgerald-returns-home-7-sailors-still-missing

 

"UPDATE: The destroyer Fitzgerald, mangled from a rare, harrowing collision while at sea, returned to its home port of Yokosuka, Japan, at about 6:15 p.m. local time Saturday, capping a 16-hour effort by the crew to prevent an even greater crisis.

 

Seven sailors remain missing, and divers were standing by to assess the ship's damage and try to access the spaces that were flooded when Fitzgerald collided with a merchant ship nearly four-times its size in the middle of the night. The incident occurred in the Philippine Sea, about 50 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka.

 

 

Images show clearly the ship had taken on massive amounts of water during the ordeal. A news release from U.S. 7th Fleet confirmed that two berthing spaces, an auxiliary machine room and the ship’s radio room all flooded.

 

“The collision effected Fitzgerald's forward starboard side above and below the water line, causing significant damage and associated flooding to two berthing spaces, a machinery space, and the radio room, which damage-control teams quickly began dewatering,” the release said. “While those efforts helped stabilize the flooding, it remains uncertain how long it will take to gain access to the spaces once the ship is pier side in Yokosuka in order to methodically continue the search for the missing.”

"

First , hats off to crew to 'Don't give up the ship'. Second, account for every crewman. Third, someone is in big trouble. This is seamanship. Sad, unless there was an outside factor effecting GPS, inertial, and radar of both ships, this kind of thing does not happen. I am afraid that careers of CO, XO, OOD, JOOD, navigator (of the watch), and lookouts are likely finished. The merchant master, 1st officer, and navigator are likely to loose their licences and certs. Bad all around.

However, and I have a bad feeling, that there may have been some tinkering with GPS by 3rd agency. Obviously I have no evidence, and GPS has backups with inertial, radar, and with clear sky , navigating by stars.

 

Merchant was fully loaded container ship, and from photos it looks like containers block bridge's view. But modern merchants also use combined GPS, and radar.

 

The area is a heavy merchant traffic zone.

It is a very strange event. The merchant ship changed course before the incident with a U-turn. (Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40310563 ).

Edited June 18, 2017 by tflash
inappropriate question

Does make your wonder. Just how do you crash into a 30,000 ton cargo ship, hardly as though it was using stealth technology.

Yeah, that 30,000 tonne ship did a quick Uturn then some shimmies and fooled the Fitzgerald with stealth tactics. This entire thing is a bit strange to say the least. Not mocking the gravity of it, but the circumstances on paper are confusing.

If I understand correctly, the larger and heavier (thus harder to turn/navigate) cargo ship had the right of passage?

 

Someone screwed up and it is very likely the commanding officers of the U.S. warship. How do you, with all the radar and electronics, not see a big cargo ship approaching you and move out of the way? On an open sea no less.

the merchantman should not have been driving in circles either. if someone has intention of ramming you, not a lot you can do to avoid it, not implying that's what happened. will be interesting to see what the investigation finds.

Edited June 18, 2017 by Andy1966

If a US destroyer can't avoid a cargo ship, guess the soviets never needed their hunter killer subs.

Edited June 24, 2017 by Mr_sukebe

the u-turn is definitely curious, especially with such a laden vessel.

the u-turn is definitely curious, especially with such a laden vessel.

 

Indeed. A U-turn and a beeline for the US vessel...and after traveling (how far? Looks more than just a short joy-ride), it hits and then turns around and "oops, this is where we're supposed to be going..."

 

It will be interesting when/if more details are released. 0230 local is pretty dark...

Edited June 18, 2017 by VZ_342

Being here at CFAY, We are all hurting.

If a US destroyer can't avoid a cargo ship, guess the soviets never needed their hunter kids let subs.

What?

Still...unless radar operator was sleeping..u-turn or no u-turn, you should be able to avoid a vessel coming your way. The warship should certainly be more manouverable than the merchant vessel.

My sources said the Cargo Ship intentionally altered course and rammed the US Ship.

My sources said the Cargo Ship intentionally altered course and rammed the US Ship.

 

I heard it was on auto pilot

My sources said the Cargo Ship intentionally altered course and rammed the US Ship.

 

aye, I heard that too, but only hearsay, the more interesting question is, where was the OOD, and the X.O..?. I also heard (unconfirmed, but in media) that the C.O. was the medivac patient? Possibly thrown from bunk at 2:30 in the morning? Early morning hours are also prime time for training and drills. There had to be some kind of radio contact , or at least attempt to contact, or the Fitzgerald would have considerd the vessel hostile. EDIT... Once the vessel got within say 5000 yards.

Very strange

Edited June 19, 2017 by Andy1966

I still dont understand how this could have happened.

 

A merchant vessel is hardly a Moskit...

My sources said the Cargo Ship intentionally altered course and rammed the US Ship.

 

I'm hearing similar rumblings on my end that seem to confirm this.

 

Not all that far-fetched either. Pro-MILF/ISIS crew (not the MILF you're probably thinking of...), sees US vessel, decides to ram it as a TOO thinking they can get away with it because it looks like an accident.

Even if that were the case any navy destroyer that gets close enough to another ship that they CAN ram them is an epic fail.. Why the Hell did the destroyer allow them to get that close in the first place? Sounds like a massive screwup here on multiple levels..

Even if that were the case any navy destroyer that gets close enough to another ship that they CAN ram them is an epic fail.. Why the Hell did the destroyer allow them to get that close in the first place? Sounds like a massive screwup here on multiple levels..

 

It is, and it's going to end a few careers.

 

No Captain of a ship retires for the evening without leaving standing orders for the watch officer (usually a JO) to alert them should any number of events happen..(IE a surface contact within X distance or a submerged contact of ANY kind) and get them to the bridge.

 

The same thing should have happened aboard the merchant ship.

 

If the Fitz's captain did not leave standing orders for the watch officer..then it'll be the neck of both the captain and the watch officers in the proverbial ringer. If the captain left those standing orders and either through negligence or incompetence the watch officer failed to obey them..then their ass is done, but the Captain will still likely bear some fallout of some kind.

If I understand correctly, the larger and heavier (thus harder to turn/navigate) cargo ship had the right of passage?

 

Someone screwed up and it is very likely the commanding officers of the U.S. warship. How do you, with all the radar and electronics, not see a big cargo ship approaching you and move out of the way? On an open sea no less.

 

Much like in driving and coming up to a 4 way stop..at sea the right of way goes to the right, depending on the situation.

 

If it's determined that it was a crossing situation, IE one ship crossing the path of another, then the Fitzgerald was at fault for the accident.

 

If it was an overtaking situation with courses that would eventually intersect, then the cargo ship was at fault.

 

Without exact, high detail radar tracks of what happened, we won't know for certain. Those likely won't be released until after the mutual boards of inquiry reach a ruling.

It is a verry busy part of the ocean. So there are a lot of other ships verry close to the ship. If you look at the image on the first page, you see how close they can pass each other. So you don`t have that much time before the crash

Well,No Surprise I guess???........"Commander and XO Fired"

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/08/17/navy-fires-3-leaders-uss-fitzgerald-wake-deadly-collision.html#.WZYc7iLVH_g.twitter

Well,No Surprise I guess???........"Commander and XO Fired"

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/08/17/navy-fires-3-leaders-uss-fitzgerald-wake-deadly-collision.html#.WZYc7iLVH_g.twitter

That is indeed no surprise. It was coming whether they were at fault or not. When you have that kind of job, you have to be accountable for everything on that boat. That's just a sad fact. Hopefully people realize being in these kind of positions is important and shouldn't be taken for granted..

Well,No Surprise I guess???........"Commander and XO Fired"

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/08/17/navy-fires-3-leaders-uss-fitzgerald-wake-deadly-collision.html#.WZYc7iLVH_g.twitter

 

Yep..

 

They're done. They'll never advance beyond this. They'll likely get a stateside "graveyard" assignment, and retire at the earliest opportunity.

 

Frankly they're lucky they're not getting a dishonorable discharge.