Warship crew found likely at fault in June collision
>> WASHINGTON: The crew of the USS Fitzgerald was likely at fault in the warship’s collision with a Philippine cargo ship in June and had not been paying attention to their surroundings, according to initial findings in an investigation, a US defence official said on Friday.
Multiple US and Japanese investigations are under way into how the Fitzgerald, a guided missile destroyer, and the much larger ACX Crystal container ship collided in clear weather south of Tokyo Bay in the early hours of June 17.
The collision tore a gash below the Fitzgerald’s waterline, killing seven sailors in what was the greatest loss of life on a US Navy vessel since the USS Cole was bombed in Yemen’s Aden harbour in 2000.
“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,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said as well as crew members not paying attention to their surroundings, they did not take action until it was too late.
While the investigation is not complete, the official said crew members had given statements and radar data had been gathered, and it was unlikely the findings would change.
A US Navy spokeswoman said the investigation was in the early stages and it was premature to speculate on the causes.
The incident has spurred a number of investigations, including those by the US Navy and one by the US Coast Guard. The Japan Transport Safety Board and the Philippines government are conducting separate investigations.
An account of the incident by the Philippine ship’s captain said the US warship had failed to respond to warning signals or take evasive action before the collision.