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USS Fitzgerald and MV ACX Crystal collision

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Coordinates: 34°32′N 139°05′E / 34.533°N 139.083°E / 34.533; 139.083
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USS Fitzgerald and MV ACX Crystal collision
USS Fitzgerald returns to base after the collision
Date17 June 2017
TimeUnder investigation; conflicting reports of 1:30 A.M. or 2:20 AM Japan Standard Time
Location56 nautical miles (104 kilometres; 64 miles) southwest of Yokosuka, Japan
Coordinates34°32′N 139°05′E / 34.533°N 139.083°E / 34.533; 139.083[1][2]
Casualties
7 deaths on USS Fitzgerald[3]
3 confirmed injuries[4]

Early on 17 June 2017, the United States Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with MV ACX Crystal, a Philippine-flagged container ship, 56 nautical miles (104 kilometres; 64 miles) southwest of Yokosuka, Japan;[3][4] 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) southeast of the city of Shimoda.[2]

Seven sailors on Fitzgerald, initially listed as missing, died,[3] and at least three others were injured, including the ship's captain, Commander Bryce Benson.[4]

Events

Course of MV ACX Crystal from 6/16/17 12:05 UTC to 6/17/17 3:00 showing presumptive point of collision with the USS Fitzgerald at 16:30 UTC (1:30 AM Japan Time)
Detail of the movements of the ACX Crystal
For more details, see: USS Fitzgerald § 2017 collision and MV ACX Crystal § 2017 collision

The collision damaged Fitzgerald's starboard (right) side, including the hull below the waterline where a "large gash near the keel" was created, according to U.S. Seventh Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin.[5] Hours of damage control by Fitzgerald's crew kept the ship from sinking.[6]

The executive officer assumed command as the destroyer returned to port with the assistance of tugs, the destroyer USS Dewey and the Japan Coast Guard.[7][8][9][10]

The Japan Coast Guard and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force participated in the search and rescue operations, including evacuating CDR Benson by helicopter.[4][11] The other injured sailors were evacuated by US military helicopters.[4]

The weather was clear at the time, and US and Japanese inquiries will investigate the cause of the collision.[6]

The US Navy's 7th Fleet identified the deceased sailors as:

  1. Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, Virginia
  2. Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego, California
  3. Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, Connecticut
  4. Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, Texas
  5. Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, California
  6. Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Maryland
  7. Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, from Elyria, Ohio [12]

The time of the collision is unclear. On Monday, 19 June (Japan Standard Time)—two days after the collision—the Japan Coast Guard and Nippon Yusen (NYK Line), ACX Crystal's operator, announced that after further investigation, it had been determined that the collision occurred at about 1:30 A.M. At this time, ACX Crystal made a sudden turn, according to Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. The US Navy initially maintained the event was at 2:20 A.M., when AIS data showed the cargo ship returning to the same area where it had turned earlier, and five minutes before the event was reported to the Coast Guard by the ACX Crystal at 2:25 A.M. On Monday, the US Navy said "all aspects of this incident" were under investigation and declined to comment on the discrepancy.[13][14] (As U.S. Navy ships do not transmit their location data openly the way commercial vessels do, the exact path of the Fitzgerald leading up to the collision cannot be independently confirmed until announced by Navy officials.[15]) The details of the movement of the ACX Crystal (see maps) seem to suggest that it developped technical problems in its rudder control system at 1.30, causing it first to uncontrallably turn to the right, then getting back to course, them causing an unwanted U-turn, then, at 2.20 causing another sudden uncontrollable turn left while it sailed close by and parallel to the Fitzgerald, resulting in the collision.

NYK Line was unable to provide information on what happened between the time of the collision and the report.[14] The Japan Coast Guard is investigating whether the collision was reported promptly.[13]

Fitzgerald is believed to be repairable, but it will take months.[6]

Ships involved

USS Fitzgerald

USS Fitzgerald is a Flight I Template:Sclass-. Built at Bath Iron Works in Maine, the ship was commissioned into the US Navy on October 14 1995. Since September 2004, Fitzgerald has operated from Yokosuka, Japan as part of Destroyer Squadron 15, a unit of the United States Seventh Fleet.

MV ACX Crystal

MV ACX Crystal is a container ship owned by the Olympic Steamship Co SA, Panama. Built by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding at Changwon in South Korea, the ship entered service in August 2008. ACX Crystal has been employed for use by ACX, a subsidiary of NYK Line on shipping routes between Japan, Vietnam and Thailand.

See also

References

  1. ^ "USS Fitzgerald crash: Seven navy crew missing off Japan". BBC News. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b Mikhail Voytenko (June 17, 2017), "USS FITZGERALD collision with boxship ACX CRYSTAL, Japan", Maritime Bulletin
  3. ^ a b c "Seven sailors missing in ship collision found dead". The Hill. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e Lendon, Brad; Wakatsuki, Yoko; Sterling, Joe (17 June 2017). "Search is on for 7 missing US sailors, cause of ship collision off Japan". CNN.
  5. ^ U.S. Navy identifies 7 sailors who died in destroyer collision, CBS News, June 18, 2017
  6. ^ a b c "U.S. destroyer almost foundered after collision, bodies found: Seventh Fleet". Reuters. 18 June 2017.
  7. ^ Simpkins, Jon; Larter, David (16 June 2017). "7 U.S. sailors missing after USS Fitzgerald's catastrophic collision". Navy Times. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  8. ^ LaGrone, Sam (16 June 2017). "7 Sailors Missing, CO Injured After Destroyer USS Fitzgerald Collided with Philippine Merchant Ship". USNI News. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  9. ^ "コンテナ船と米海軍イージス駆逐艦が衝突 静岡 石廊崎沖" [Container ship and US Navy Aegis destroyer collide off Cape Iro, Shizuoka Prefecture]. NHK (in Japanese). 17 June 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  10. ^ Associated Press (16 June 2017). "U.S. Destroyer Is Damaged in a Collision Near Japan, and Seven Sailors Are Reported Missing". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  11. ^ Mateo, Janvic (18 June 2017). "US warship collision: 7 Navy sailors missing". Philstar.
  12. ^ "Navy identifies USS Fitzgerald sailors found dead after crash". Fox News.
  13. ^ a b Makiko Inoue (June 19, 2017), "Japan Says Deadly Ship Collision Happened Earlier Than Reported", The New York Times
  14. ^ a b Julia Jacobo (June 19, 2017), What we know about Navy destroyer's deadly collision with a container ship in Japan, ABC News
  15. ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/investigators-question-how-a-navy-destroyer-and-a-container-ship-collided/2017/06/19/aa551222-54bb-11e7-9e18-968f6ad1e1d3_story.html
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