Investigators obtain data recorder in US warship collision

Seattle Times ^ | June 22 2017 | MARI YAMAGUCHI

[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.

[rlmorel]

That story you related, I have heard a number of those types of stories. That is bad news.

Well, I think we shall find out shortly in any case.

[Drew68]

Believe me. This happens over, and over, and over again with depressing and predictable regularity.

In the Navy I've heard it put this way; "And all the holes in the swiss cheese lined up."

Great post, BTW.

[rlmorel]

LOL, I have never in my life heard that one...I can just hear someone saying that!

Thanks...

[Presbyterian Reporter]

Good post.

Do we know how long the USS Fitzgerald has been stationed at U.S. Naval base in Yokosuka?

[rlmorel]

Dang. Here was the graphic I was trying to display. Now I know where I stand on FR...in the same place a man at a fancy occasion with a piece of spinach stuck between his front teeth and nobody tells him!

[AFreeBird]

"Pumped" Bilge #1? A couple of different connotations come to mind. Not as bad as pumping bilge #2 I imagine. 😏

[rlmorel]

LOL, I just pulled that one out of the air as something completely mundane...I don’t have any idea if that is even entered into a log (LOL, someone is going to throw a big black shoe at this Airedale for that one!)

[TXnMA]

Wow! is that your work?

I'm in the middle of drawing the same thing -- starting from scratch -- and you have far better images of both ships! (BTW, I've looked -- where did you find them?

Would you mind if I convert the two ships into vector objects -- so we can (possibly) produce a time-sequence?

#1 Son just called; he's on the ground @ DFW -- so, we better head for Shreveport, LA now...

Great work!!

BobV

[wxgesr]

I was onboard the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT CVN-71 when she backed into the USS LEYTE GULF during BECCEs @0230L......strange things happen quick and happen even quicker at sea in the dark.

[Lou L]

Excellent post!

[rlmorel]

I googled for the Arleigh Burke schematic, and just took a generic containership schematic and resized them to somewhat appropriate sizes (the Fitzgerald is 510 feet vs the ACX Crystal which is 698 feet. I just eyeballed it, didn’t have time in Photoshop to get them nicely done. Let me know if you want some better copies, even in vector format, and I will find a way to get them to you.

Drive safe!

[rlmorel]

Thanks, Lou L...

[TXnMA]

Where the heck have you been ever since the collision was reported?

For at least the last five days I've been posting (here on FR) AIS data plots showing that the collision STARTED the erratic maneuvering by the ACX Crystal, not vice versa...

[rlmorel]

Boy, know how your parents told you nothing good happens after 2:00 AM?

Isn’t that the truth...

Thanks for your service! What did you do on the TR?

[rlmorel]

Looks like that has been her home port since September 2004.

[wxgesr]

wxgesr

[wxgesr]

Leading Chief of the OA div....Aerographer’s Mates...weather guessers....

One of my guys (AG3) was crossing the jet test cell (fantail) after recording our 006Z upper air sounding in the balloon room. He was almost squished, didn’t even see the DDG as he crossed the stern. He entered the port side hatch as the ships collided. He is a LCDR today,success story.

[rlmorel]

Hey...now that is an interesting job...I never met an Aerographer’s Mate...boy, that guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time!

Thanks for your service, shipmate!

[Lou L]

I was onboard the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT CVN-71 when she backed into the USS LEYTE GULF during BECCEs @0230L......strange things happen quick and happen even quicker at sea in the dark.

I was a Plankowner on the Leyte Gulf, but left in 1991. We used to steam with the Roosevelt quite a bit, and often stood "plane guard" -- which was a way to say we sailed directly behind the carrier, perhaps a half mile to a mile.

Doing that at night, while the carrier was conducting exercises that would take her from all ahead to full stop was rife with danger. The result was that the gross tonnage rule won out; the much smaller cruiser got her nose smacked pretty good.

[TXnMA]

Thanks!

I'm already working on my own to-scale vector version...

I may take you up on the offer of vector objects -- IF -- I'm not able to create my own. I work in ACD's Canvas, which is vector-based, and handles raster graphics seamlessly.

I'm sorta wondering whether -- when I post my damage vs relative speed analysis -- I should just go ahead and do so as a FReeperED post. That way, I could publish the whole saga -- including how the wrong time (and news articles) fooled me -- at first -- as well...

Again, thanks for your help!