Classification
- Incident Type: Collision
- Severity: High
- Tug involvement: no
- Tug mechanism: N/A
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | USS Fitzgerald |
| Vessel Type | Naval / Military |
| Flag State | United States [US] |
| Gross Tonnage | 9000 |
| LOA (m) | 154 |
| Crew Size | Approximately 300 |
ACX Crystal was a Philippines-flagged container ship, built in 2008, approximately 222 m long, and approximately 29,000 gross tons.
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2017-06-17 |
| Location | Sagami Wan, vicinity of the approaches to Tokyo Wan |
| Region | Japan |
| Coordinates | 34.5000, 139.0000 |
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Injuries | 3 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Outcome | Seven USS Fitzgerald sailors died after rapid flooding of Berthing 2; three personnel were evacuated for treatment. |
| Direct Damage | |
| Estimated Economic Damage |
Key facts
- At about 0130 local time, USS Fitzgerald and ACX Crystal collided approximately 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, near the Izu Peninsula.
- ACX Crystal's bow struck above the waterline and its bulbous bow created an approximately 13 by 17 foot opening into Auxiliary Machinery Room 1 and the Berthing 2 starboard access trunk.
- Thirty-five sailors were in Berthing 2; 28 escaped and seven died after the space flooded rapidly.
- Three personnel, including the commanding officer, were medically evacuated for treatment.
- The Navy determined that the collision was avoidable and identified failures in training, seamanship and navigation, leadership and culture, and fatigue.
Narrative
USS Fitzgerald departed Yokosuka on 16 June 2017 for routine operations and began an outbound transit from the Sagami Wan operating area at about 2300 local time. At about 0130 the following day, the destroyer was approximately 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka near the Izu Peninsula. Seas were relatively calm, with unrestricted visibility, while traffic had become moderately dense. Fitzgerald was proceeding on a constant course of 190 degrees at 20 knots as ACX Crystal approached toward Tokyo Harbor.
The Navy reported that neither vessel took effective action to reduce the collision risk during the 30 minutes before impact until about one minute before the collision. The officer of the deck initially mistook ACX Crystal for another vessel with a greater closest point of approach; recognition of the collision course came too late. The Navy found that the officer of the deck did not manoeuvre, sound the danger signal, attempt bridge-to-bridge radio contact, or call the commanding officer. The bridge team and Combat Information Center also failed to provide effective situational awareness and input.
ACX Crystal's bow struck Fitzgerald's starboard side above the waterline, while its bulbous bow struck below it. The impact created an approximately 13 by 17 foot opening spanning the second and third decks below the main deck, directly flooding Auxiliary Machinery Room 1 and the Berthing 2 starboard access trunk. The force of the water opened the non-watertight door into Berthing 2. Of the 35 sailors in that space, 28 escaped; survivors later estimated that it was nearly flooded within 30 to 60 seconds. Debris and the ship's starboard list impeded escape, and seven sailors died.
The collision caused structural damage, flooding in several spaces, loss of external communications, and loss of power forward. Damage-control teams contained flooding while Japanese and U.S. vessels and aircraft provided assistance. Fitzgerald returned to Yokosuka under her own power at restricted speed, assisted by tugs, and moored that evening. Navy divers entered Berthing 2 on 18 June and recovered the seven deceased sailors.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2017-06-16 23:00 local | USS Fitzgerald began its outbound transit from the Sagami Wan operating area. |
| 2017-06-17 01:30 local | USS Fitzgerald and ACX Crystal collided approximately 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka. |
| 2017-06-17 04:53 local | Fitzgerald began its return to Yokosuka under its own power at about 3 knots. |
| 2017-06-17 18:54 local | Fitzgerald moored pierside in Yokosuka. |
| 2017-06-18 04:54 local | Navy divers entered Berthing 2 and began recovery operations. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Safety planning and watchstanding | Confirmed finding | The Navy found failures to plan for safety and execute basic watchstanding practices. |
| Seamanship and navigation | Confirmed finding | The Navy found failures to adhere to sound navigation practice and use available navigation tools. |
| Bridge and Combat Information Center coordination | Confirmed finding | The officer of the deck was not provided effective situational awareness and input by the bridge team and Combat Information Center. |
| Leadership, culture, and fatigue | Confirmed finding | The Navy identified leadership and culture, and fatigue, among the factors behind the avoidable collision. |
Investigation
The Department of the Navy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, reported that the collision was avoidable. Its report identified failures in safety planning, navigation, watchstanding, use of navigation tools, and response in extremis. A supplemental preliminary inquiry addressed post-collision damage control, life-saving efforts, injuries, and recovery operations; it did not assess collision causation.
References
- Report on the collision between USS Fitzgerald and ACX Crystal
- Supplemental preliminary inquiry and line-of-duty determination regarding USS Fitzgerald
- Navy release on the Fitzgerald and John S. McCain collision reports
Related
- ACX CRYSTAL
- Japan
- USS Fitzgerald
- U.S. Navy
- Japanese Coast Guard
- Commander, Carrier Strike Group FIVE
- Department of the Navy Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
- Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces
- Collision
- Fatigue and Alertness