Report: USS Fitzgerald Was Likely At Fault in Collision

try as they might to keep the truth from seeing the light of day, there are obviously people at the DoD who actually have a conscience who can’t allow that to occur.

I am still waiting for the track of the FITZGERALD in the moments before the collision to be released but I think all of us here know that it will clearly damn the watch of the destroyer. the mere fact that the Navee not making it public is to me a tantamount admission that they know it was their people who FUCKED UP!

Report: USS Fitzgerald Was Likely At Fault in Collision

By MarEx 2017-07-21

American defense officials said Friday that initial findings indicate that the destroyer USS Fitzgerald was likely at fault in her collision with the container ship ACX Crystal on June 17.

Seven died and three were injured in the accident, and the Crystal’s bulbous bow tore a hole measuring 12 by 17 feet in Fitzgerald’s hull. Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin said that only the skillful damage control efforts of the Fitzgerald’s crew saved the ship from sinking.

The Navy, the Coast Guard, the Japan Coast Guard and the flag administration of the Philippines all have active investigations running into the circumstances of the collision. The Navy is pursuing two parallel inquiries – a fact-finding mission and a separate legal investigation aimed at determining responsibility for the accident.

Defense officials told CNN and Reuters that the early results of the investigation show that the Fitzgerald was at fault, and that a loss of situational awareness was a primary factor in the collision. “There was not a lot that went right leading up to the crash. There were a string of errors, but they did a lot after the collision to save lives and the ship,” an official with knowledge of the inquiry told Reuters. He added that the investigators have already collected radar data from the time of the incident and testimony from the crew, and that it was unlikely that the initial conclusions would change.

Two defense officials speaking with CNN confirmed this account. “They did nothing until the last second,” one official said. “A slew of things went wrong.” Another Navy official said the crash “will wind up being our fault.”

The Navy would not confirm these anonymous statements. “We are in the early stages of the investigation process to develop a comprehensive picture of what caused the collision and do not have any definitive information to release at this time,” said Rear Adm. Dawn Cutler, Navy chief of information, in a statement Friday. “It is premature to speculate on causation or any other issues.”

As much as I want the information now, I would rather they really do a good investigation and then release it. It’s not just that multiple people failed on the bridge as the comments stated in the news yesterday, it’s a cultural, training, and/or mindset problem that will need to get fixed since I strongly doubt that the Fitzgerald is an outlier in this regard. Meaning, if they messed up in so many ways, there are other warships with the same level of training and a similar mindset that just got lucky.

https://taskandpurpose-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/taskandpurpose.com/fitzgeralds-watch-team-mine/amp/

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Excellent article and a good perspective. It also points to a few things indirectly.

  1. It takes two to tango. If there are failures on only one vessel, you should not have a collision. Incorrect actions or inactions by one vessel will never completely absolve the other of fault.

  2. BRM, risk assessment, whatever you want to call it. Well done. Looking at the close hazards and keeping an eye out for upcoming hazards.

  3. Identify the hazard

  4. Come up with a plan to avoid the hazard

  5. Risk assess that plan

  6. Act

  7. Communicate

  8. Monitor what’s going on to see if it works

  9. Repeat until home in bed

Now we just need to get everybody to do it.