Tanker hits Destoyer, how is this possible?

[Bruno]

Terrible tragedy, what was the cause for two vessels like these to collide?

 

[sailronin]

From photos of damage to Destroyer it appears the tanker was the stand on vessel. Hard to believe with ARPA, ECDIS and a full watch on each vessel that something like this could happen.  Sometimes "ya can't fix stupid" as each thought the other would give way.

That Navy Captain will be lucky to drive a desk after this, his career is finished.

 

[Bruno]

I'm having trouble believing this was just human error.

 

[jack_sparrow]

I think you meant to type;  "Godzilla Shits on Destoroyah" 

 

[sailronin]

My guess is just that, human error.  

 

[jack_sparrow]

This just occured a few hours ago

 

[jack_sparrow]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/politics/us-navy-destroyer-collides-with-merchant-ship-japan/index.html

 

[Virgulino Ferreira]

I'm having trouble believing this was just human error.

Never underestimate human stupidity!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Guardian_(MCM-5)#January_2013_grounding

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Porter_(DDG-78)#2012_collision

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hartford_and_USS_New_Orleans_collision#Collision

 

[RKoch]

With the destroyer's damage on the starboard side, there's a pretty high likelyhood of them being at fault.

 

[Bruno]

My mistake, container ship described as 3x of Burke class, was on a very straight track at 18 k, then hard right turn to avoid probably reduced damage. Just not sure how watch keepers and radar failed to observe approach, not to mention AIS.

 

[Bruno]

Btw, the first was due to a chart inaccuracy of 8 m, the latter two to lax watch keeping in narrow seas, one at periscope depth. This seems a bit different, though we've all seen and made our share of mistakes out there. There are just so many redundancies on the Burke class alone, never mind the container ship.

 

[unknown]

The Bridge watch has 4-6 people and then who ever is in CiC.  No one saw this coming?!!?  At 0230 you are at the low point of reaction times and I am sure there was a fair amount of complacency but .... 

 

[Cal20sailor]

About 10 people will have their ass handed to them.  Who knows if the Captain was even on the bridge, doesn't matter.  He's responsible.  A good guy could be going down...we don't know.  Somebody sure fucked up...but who?

 

[gobigkahuna]

The primary purpose of COLREGS is to prevent collisions at sea.  Although the rules do provide that one vessel shall be the "stand on" vessel and the other the "give way" vessel, that only pertains until it becomes clear that the stand on vessel is not taking appropriate measures to avoid and at that time the give way vessel must take immediate action to prevent a collision.

Having stood countless hours standing watch as the OOD on Navy ships and the Watch Officer on merchant ships I can tell you that there were many times I had to maneuver to avoid even though we were the stand on vessel.

There just isn't any justification for an accident like this to occur.  Even equipment failures don't relieve either party of their responsibility to avoid a collision.  

 

[gobigkahuna]

The Bridge watch has 4-6 people and then who ever is in CiC.  No one saw this coming?!!?  At 0230 you are at the low point of reaction times and I am sure there was a fair amount of complacency but .... 

Don't forget the lookouts.  Navy ships of this class usually have 2 lookouts (one forward and one aft).  Merchant ships are required to have at least one lookout.

 

[bgytr]

Containership, not a tanker.

 

[4ktsb]

Did the container ship yell Starboard?

 

[duncan (the other one)]

do keep up

 

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When actual facts finally are found, a much different picture may emerge.  Damage to port side of container ship may mean overtaking, and note vessels may have been in a traffic control system .