Analysis of the USS Fitzgerald Disaster
OBSERVATIONS:
1.This was not a glancing blow, a sideswipe of two ships passing in the night. It was a direct, frontal, perpendicular hit of the Crystal against the mid-right side (starboard) of the Fitzgerald.
2. It
happened at around 2:30 a.m. local time. Even if visibility by the naked
eye was very low, how could the persons manning the radar systems of
both ships not have detected the impending collision as it was
developing and advised their captains to take immediate, evasive action?
3. From the maps and descriptions of the courses of the two vessels
during the time leading up to the collision that I have seen, it is
difficult to make sense of the directionality and turns of the vessels
in their aggregate. “ While the cause of the accident has yet to be
determined, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK said the ACX Crystal had made
a sharp turn shortly before the collision.” (report in The Guardian 18
hours ago)
4. Reports indicate that the entrance to the harbor is usually clogged with a high concentration of ships, and there are islands that need to be avoided. In such challenging circumstances, extraordinary caution is required at the best of times. This is especially true for mammoth vessels that are difficult to maneuver (they are not nimble, to say the least).
5. The
bulbous underwater part of the Crystal’s bow appears to have ruptured
the Fitzgerald’s hull beneath the surface of the water, which resulted
in the F taking on water and listing despite extensive pumping action.
More seriously, the upper, projecting part of the C’s bow, which was
aimed directly (here I am making no claim of intentionality) at the F’s
bridge and penetrated rather deeply into the F’s superstructure, caused
tremendous damage and apparently threw sailors who were standing in that
area into the sea (seven crew members of the F were found in a flooded
compartment). In terms of mass and bulk, this crashing of the C against
the F has been described as resembling that of a freight train plowing
into a school bus.
6. The C sustained minimal damage in the upper part of the port side of
the bow, right near the front. Early this morning it was seen passing by
Yokosuka, “visible at a distance from Chili’s. Steaming at a decent clip
for a cargo ship.” (from an onsite observer)
QUESTIONS:
1. Structurally, which is more vulnerable, the side of a ship or the
bow?
2. Who was at the helms of the two ships at the moment of impact and
during the last ten minutes leading up to the collision?
3. Were the captain, officers, and crew members of the Crystal actually
Japanese?
It is
possible that the M.V. ACX Crystal had turned 180 to avoid a close CPA
(Closest Point of Approach) with another ship and ended up heading South
in the traffic lane among other ships. Having resolved her close contact
issue, she then turned abruptly to resume her Northerly course and
struck the Fitzgerald in the turn.
Fitzgerald’s tracking probably held the Crystal’s Southerly heading (and
held her overtaking or being overtaken by Fitzgerald) but with the
number of other contacts in the area, Fitzgerald might not have
immediately noted and inputted the Crystal’s turn to resume her
Northerly course.
Before the OOD knew it the DDG was in extremis with the ACX Crystal.
What action the OOD took in extremis will not be public knowledge until
the investigation is concluded.
The Navy Emergency Shiphandling Course taught me that when in extremis
act because you will have a 50% chance of avoiding collision. Not acting
means 100% chance of collision.
Knowing now that the CO was in his cabin means to me that the OOD felt
he had the situation in hand or that the collision happened so quickly
the CO couldn’t be notified.
The fact that the CO was in his rack tells me he was 1) convinced the
OOD was competent in handling the ship in congested waters or 2) a fool
for not being on the bridge.
Since Cdr Benson had been a CO previously, and this was his second
command, I am convinced that he was no fool.
Circumstances often conspire against a shipdriver, even the most
forehanded ones.
It is a tragedy that sailors were killed in the collision and the only positive part of the accident was the professional and rapid response of Fitzgerald’s damage control teams in ensuring she didn’t flood and founder. Theirs was a superlative and highly laudable response and outcome.
https://medium.com/@JackPosobiec/analysis-of-the-uss-fitzgerald-disaster-a66c8033085d