Classification
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Incident Type | Collision |
| Severity | Low |
| Investigation Body | Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy |
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | USS Lake Champlain |
| Vessel Names | USS Lake Champlain; Nam Yang 502 |
| Vessel Type | Naval / Military |
| Flag State | United States [US] |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | 10200 |
| LOA (m) | 173 |
| Breadth (m) | |
| Other Involved Vessels | Nam Yang 502, fishing vessel of approximately 60 feet and 10 gross tons |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2017-05-09 |
| Region | Japan |
| Location | Sea of Japan |
| Coordinates | 36.0000, 129.0000 |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | |
Key facts
- USS Lake Champlain was formation-steaming with USS Carl Vinson and ROKS Yangmanchun.
- The cruiser intermittently tracked Nam Yang 502 before losing the track at about 11:35, when the fishing vessel was about 2.4 nautical miles away.
- At 11:51, Nam Yang 502 struck the cruiser's port midships and scraped along the port side before separating near the port quarter.
- Lake Champlain sustained a 3-by-5-foot dent and paint scrapes, with no cracks or leaks reported.
- The Navy found deficiencies in watchstanding, navigation, use of available tools and the response when collision was imminent.
Narrative
On 9 May 2017, USS Lake Champlain was formation-steaming in the Sea of Japan with USS Carl Vinson and ROKS Yangmanchun while the carrier manoeuvred for flight operations. The cruiser did not have its commercial radar display available, was not transmitting AIS and had one main engine unavailable for scheduled maintenance. At 10:31, Carl Vinson obtained radar and AIS tracks of the approximately 60-foot fishing vessel Nam Yang 502. Lake Champlain acquired radar and electro-optical track at 10:50 at a range of 4.7 nautical miles, but held the track only intermittently. At about 11:35, the cruiser lost the track and did not regain it before the collision. While changing course to retain formation position, Lake Champlain turned ahead of Nam Yang 502 without recognizing the collision risk. The bridge team made two unsuccessful bridge-to-bridge radio calls and sounded the five-short-blast danger signal. It then ordered maximum available speed and full rudder first to starboard and then to port. At 11:51, Nam Yang 502's bow struck Lake Champlain's port midships, pivoted alongside and separated near the port quarter. Lake Champlain conducted damage-control actions, brought additional generators online, started another engine and remained on scene to ensure Nam Yang 502's safety. No personnel injuries were reported. The cruiser sustained a dent and paint scrapes without cracks or leaks, while Nam Yang 502 sustained minor hull damage. The Navy report does not provide a monetary damage estimate or a complete casualty count beyond the no-injury finding.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2017-05-09 10:31 | USS Carl Vinson gained radar and AIS tracks of Nam Yang 502. |
| 2017-05-09 10:50 | Lake Champlain acquired radar and electro-optical track of Nam Yang 502 at 4.7 nautical miles. |
| 2017-05-09 11:35 | Lake Champlain lost the track at about 2.4 nautical miles. |
| 2017-05-09 11:45-11:50 | The bridge team made radio calls, sounded danger signals and issued late speed and rudder orders. |
| 2017-05-09 11:51 | Nam Yang 502 struck Lake Champlain's port midships. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Watchstanding and training failures | Confirmed finding | The Navy found basic watchstanding failures, ineffective Rules of the Road training and an inexperienced bridge team. |
| Loss of contact management | Confirmed finding | Lake Champlain did not maintain radar track during the final 16 minutes and did not effectively use available means to assess collision risk. |
| Delayed navigation and manoeuvring | Confirmed finding | The bridge team did not comply with the International Rules of the Road and made improper and untimely avoidance manoeuvres. |
| Nam Yang 502 equipment failures | Confirmed finding | The report states that the fishing vessel's GPS and radio were not functional. |
Investigation
The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations published its collision report on 29 November 2017 after the command Admiralty investigation. It characterised the collision as avoidable and identified deficiencies in preparation, command and control, training, seamanship, navigation and watch-team communication. The report focuses on Navy actions while noting that Nam Yang 502's non-functional GPS and radio also contributed. It records no personnel injuries but does not provide a monetary damage estimate or a complete fatality or missing-person count.
References
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