The ship’s captain, Commander Bryce Benson, was asleep when the accident happened and his cabin was destroyed by the impact at 2.30am on Saturday.The USS Fitzgerald's captain, Benson, was airlifted early Saturday to the US Naval Hospital in Yokosuka and was in stable condition with a head injury, the Navy said.
According to a report from the Navy Times, Executive Officer Commander Sean Babbitt has assumed command after the collision.
According to the Navy, the collision occurred 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, home to the 7th Fleet.
The Philippine-flagged container ship was berthed at Tokyo's Oi wharf, where officials questioned crew members about the cause of the crash.
The Fitzgerald completed $21 million in upgrades and repairs in February, and recently made a port call to the US Navy's Subic Bay base in the Philippines and conducted patrols in the South China Sea.
The ship's crew used the stop to conduct some minor repairs with the assistance of Philippine companies.
Some fairly informed speculation in the forum comments here (”gCaptain” is a maritime related site): http://forum.gcaptain.com/t/uss-fitzgerald-collides-with-acx-crystal-off-coast-of-japan/45129/46
So recent systems work and repairs. That’s another plausible thread in this.