Posted on 06/21/2017 6:16:08 AM PDT by artichokegrower
Every ship, regardless of nationality or purpose, is required to carry one terse book . This book is titled the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions but is better know by its acronym “COLREGs”. The chapters are short and to the point and ship officers are required to make marks of 90% on COLREGs tests taken to keep up their licenses. In order to pass this stringent requirement sailors have developed mnemonic aids to help them remember the contents. When the crew loses control of steering, the COLREGs demands that the ship display two red lights in a vertical line. The mnemonic for this rule is “Red over Red, the Captain’s dead”. Sailboats are required to display a red and green light and its said “Red over Green, sailing machine”. There are many more like this but one important rule for avoiding collisions with Navy warships is missing: “If it’s grey stay away.”
(Excerpt) Read more at gcaptain.com ...
Very interesting.
All that technology is for naught if no one is paying attention to what the sophisticated radar, satellite intelligence and global positioning systems are putting on screen.
Well said. In my business, we say that if you can imagine 'x' happening under any circumstances, then you must mitigate.
Wonder if the public will ever learn who was the officer on the deck when the accident occurred. It may tell the American people much about their “new” Navy.
I’m really curious about this too. The simple answer is incompetence or purposeful ramming from whoever had control of the helm .
“How could such a collision take place in the 21st century, an age of sophisticated radar, satellite intelligence, global positioning systems, etc.?”
Aircraft have radar, transponders, air traffic controllers, designated routes, designated altitudes and they still run into each other.
It appears the ‘new navy’ has been ‘fundamentally transformed’ by Obama.
It’s like at Indy and some dumbass driver hits the pace car.
It has happened before;
The Most Intense Bridge Conversation EVER – USS Porter Collides With Supertanker
On August 12, 2012, the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Porter collided with a Mitsui OSK Lines’ supertanker M/T Otowasan near the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. The collision tore a 3 by 3 meter (9.8 ft — 9.8 ft) hole in the starboard side of the destroyer, forcing it to Jebel Ali, Dubai for repairs. No one was injured however.
The ship’s captain, Cmdr. Martin Arriola, was subsequently relieved of command and replaced by Cmdr. Dave Richardson. On 12 October 2012, the Porter rejoined Carrier Strike Group Twelve for its transit through the Suez Canal following extensive repairs to the ship.
http://gcaptain.com/intense-bridge-conversation-porter/
............I have spent many hours on a USN Destroyer in CIC and on the bridge and I can tell you you are getting close to the most likely problem. “Something” was going on on the bridge OR CIC. Someone was distracted. Hmmmm...........what can “distract” a young sailor? A pretty young sailor!? Damn right!
So, “one” possibility, and I stress “POSSIBILITY” for those freepers who sometimes miss that qualifier, is that sailors in CIC or on the bridge were engaged in some form of hanky panky with a female sailor.
From my own experience, I don’t think “asleep at their post” was happening. I’ve never seen that. There was a distraction...............and it was a doozy whatever it was. If the OOD was involved in hanky panky with a female sailor at the moment of impact, he should go to Leavenworth for LIFE! 7 young sailors did DIE.
Because these technologies only provide data to humans. That data is processed by a human and decisions are made. Those decisions, made by a human, are what caused the collision.
In the case of the Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia, the operator, because they were homosexual, was let off the hook for intentionally accelerating around one of the sharpest curves on the entire railway. Clearly some wacko, sick minded queer urge to act outrageous.
Likely they are in the same circumstance here — who was driving the boat? Probably not a straight white male.
Who was at the helm?
“It’s like at Indy and some dumbass driver hits the pace car.”
Imagine the pace car exiting the pits unannounced, and crossing into the racing line. Exactly what happened.
I heard the call the other poster was referring to. The caller said “junior officer.” I believe the poster mangled that one detail in describing the call.
It is criminal to have a ship on autopilot with no one on the bridge. When being over taken one is obligated to maintain course and speed.
“Imagine the pace car exiting the pits unannounced, and crossing into the racing line. Exactly what happened.”
Yes. It does appear the USS Fitzgerald came from its Navy Base and entered the busy shipping lane without looking for traffic.
It has happened before
It has happened many, many times before. I was n the USS Mars (AFS 1) when we had a major collision with the USS Cook (FF 1083) in 1979.
Major Hassan , who murdered nine at Fort Hood was a demented, closeted homosexual Muslim.His court martial was delayed and the information learned about him and his army record were all suppressed. The Obama administration did everything it could to hide the truth. This incident will test the Trump administration. Suspect the truth of what happened will not reflect well on current Navy gender goals, diversity goals and how those policies affected promotions, commissions and duty assignments. Really not confident that the Court Martial will reveal much.
The only thing I can say about this is that win, lose, or draw, in about 5 seconds that destroyer has the power to slam into reverse and practically leave its bow anchors behind should it see the need.
“Who was at the helm?”, most probably as sn/2c or a sn/3c
a junior enlisted non rate with at most a couple/three years in the Navy. That is who stands at the helm of Naval vessels most of the time.
The cargo ship was probably lit up on their detectors, well, like a big effin ship on the water.
There was no "didn't see it coming"
Thinking on this for a while, the possibility that the crew thought they could shoot across the bow with nary a scratch is the most probable explanation, simply misjudged the closing speed, almost made it.
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