Posted on 06/22/2017 6:39:56 AM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
Japanese authorities said Thursday they have obtained a data recording device from a container ship to help determine why it collided with a U.S. destroyer, killing seven American sailors. Japanese transport safety officials said they obtained the voyage data recorder, similar to an airplane’s “black box,” from the Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal, which is currently docked in Yokohama near Tokyo.
Investigators are examining the ship’s movements, including its location, direction, speed and other data to determine the cause of its collision with the USS Fitzgerald early Saturday off Izu Peninsula, west of Tokyo. “By analyzing the data, we should be able to determine the circumstances of how it crashed,” Transport Safety Board spokesman Katsunori Takahashi said.
The safety board is focusing on the cause of the collision and the lessons to be learned, while Japan’s coast guard is investigating possible professional negligence in the accident.
U.S. Navy and Coast Guard officials are investigating the destroyer at its home port, Yokosuka naval base.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...
Maybe the Navy brass will stop suggesting the ACX Crystal did a 180 turn and rammed the container ship.
From another report: "James "Ace" Lyons, who commanded the Pacific Fleet during the 1980s, it appears deliberate, he says, citing the 180-degree u-turn that occurred before the collision"
Can't they just interview those who were on the bridge?
Can’t they just interview those who were on the bridge?
Oh I’m sure they will, after they have a look at the data recorder to see if the stories jive.
I agree with ADM Lyons, it sure looks deliberate.
I think they have already done a preliminary interview with them, but the US Navy is sticking to the 0220 time of collision, where the crew interviews said they notified of the collision almost an hour after it happened, and they notified at around 0230.
We will know soon. I think that talk of a 30,000 ton containership maneuvering around in the dark, taken over by jihadists, to try to ram a US Navy destroyer that could run circles around them, and knowing exactly where it was and having the whole thing planned out is just too far fetched.
I could be wrong, but I strongly feel it is simply going to be human error.
Agreed, but would be nice to be certain.
> It looks like the exact location and time of the collision will be known very soon. <
It will be known to the Navy, but not necessarily to us. In fact, we might never find out.
“””It will be known to the Navy, but not necessarily to us. In fact, we might never find out.”””
The black box in this story is from the ACX Crystal so we will know what it says.
The black box on the Fitzgerald will likely remain a secret to the Navy.
Yes. I think we will have a good idea soon enough.
I have a degree of certainty about this, but...in a post 9/11 world where we had jetliners full of people flown into buildings, seemingly nothing is impossible.
Coupled with the vast, huge, and overwhelming preponderance of human error as the root cause of hundreds, if not thousands of maritime and aviation incidents, all of this talk of hostile intent seems so implausible to me that I think it would take a historic event in modern history of terroristic intent to make this a reality, IMO.
Anyone who has been associated with the US Navy and its culture or been in the US Navy knows that it can be extraordinarily aggressive, vindictive, and even outright deceitful when it comes to deflecting blame of things that may reflect poorly on the Naval Service.
There are many events in our history, and not so far in the past, either, where this has been the case.
It is good to keep this in mind.
Deliberate or not it should not have been possible for cargo ship to run into a US Destroyer. What if its hull had been loaded with explosives?
“....it is simply going to be human error.”
Even if it was deliberate on the part of the Crystal, human error is the reason the Fitz didn’t avoid the collision.
It is.
Agreed, but would be nice to be certain.
Agreed. That is why those of us, who are a bit more familiar with these types of things, know exactly what is in store for the Captain of the USS Fitzgerald.
“Can’t they just interview those who were on the bridge?”
I suspect that the knowledge that there are data recorders available will encourage the witnesses to not be too creative with their stories.
If he is lucky, he will be allowed the option to simply retire as a captain.
Exactly. Whether loaded with explosives or containers full of adult disposable diapers, it should never have happened. Which is why the Captain is going to be nailed to the hull.
That is the way, harsh, sometimes unjust, but if you talk to neary any Naval officer who has ever served in the US Navy, they will agree...that is harsh and unjust, but that is the fate of a ship’s Captain in the US Navy.
And they will often add, even though they might well have fallen under that axe, is how it should be.
Most likely, without knowing any details of the case, relieved of command, court martial, early retirement with reduction in rank. That’s unless there are criminal negligence sorts of charges. Then he might be looking at doing time.
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