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Freighter Was On Autopilot When It Hit U.S. Destroyer
The Washington Free Beacon ^ | June 23rd, 2017 | BY: Bill Gertz

Posted on 06/23/2017 9:44:27 AM PDT by Mariner

The deadly collision between a U.S. destroyer and a container ship June 17 took place while the freighter was on autopilot, according to Navy officials.

The Philippines-flagged cargo ship ACX Crystal was under control of a computerized navigation system that was steering and guiding the container vessel, according to officials familiar with preliminary results of an ongoing Navy investigation.

Investigators so far found no evidence the collision was deliberate.

(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: acxcrystal; containership; shippingaccident; usdestroyer; usnavy; ussfitzgerald
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To: VTenigma

That scenario isn’t ridiculous at all.


81 posted on 06/23/2017 11:20:31 AM PDT by bigdaddy45
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To: jonrick46

I’ve done all that you stated except man the wheel, which is normally a low-level enlisted man. He just does what he is told.

Your analysis is correct.

The crew of the Fitz screwed the pooch, big time.

And many of them face General Courts Martial for Manslaughter. With almost certain conviction.


82 posted on 06/23/2017 11:22:37 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: mad_as_he$$

“Sigh. The course changes were after the collusion.”

And the Dims immediately start demanding a special counsel be appointed to investigate this typo for possible signs of Russian involvement in the collision...


83 posted on 06/23/2017 11:23:03 AM PDT by The Numbers (God, Family and Country is Right.)
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To: LurkingSince'98
"Note that it hit the DDG square not a glancing blow."

Wrong...look at ACX bow...it WAS a port to starboard hit.

Had it been straight on the Fitz would now be an artificial reef.

84 posted on 06/23/2017 11:23:14 AM PDT by diogenes ghost
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To: diogenes ghost

“Had it been straight on the Fitz would now be an artificial reef. “

Correct.

It would have cut her in half and sent her to the bottom with all aboard.


85 posted on 06/23/2017 11:26:34 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: M Kehoe
Methinks the bridge watch was watching something other than the course of the ship.

Playing grab ass, computer games, porn, etc.

My guess, good one considering what has happened to sailors with OButtboy's social tinkering. All sorts of odd things may have been going on when they think no officers will be around.

86 posted on 06/23/2017 11:26:59 AM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: House Atreides

Bingo. You his the nail on the head. The bridge watch on that destroyer failed to act until they were very close to that container ship. Then they made some very wrong decisions after they realized the seriousness of the situation.


87 posted on 06/23/2017 11:27:07 AM PDT by Bull Snipe (t)
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To: jonrick46

When the Conning officer (OOD or JOOD) give an order to the helmsman, the helmsman repeats it back word for word. A prudent conning officer then checks the compass motion to see if the order is being carried out.


88 posted on 06/23/2017 11:31:34 AM PDT by Bull Snipe (t)
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To: diogenes ghost
The initial right turn was collision, then back on course until slowed down, then return to site.

That is obvious , except to the hysterics here that want to see all sorts of nefarious things in the track.

They are likely a hoot with a Rorschach test.

89 posted on 06/23/2017 11:31:42 AM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: Bull Snipe

Your post makes me wish that FR had a “Like” button. There’s no way in hell that a competent and attentive bridge watch on the DDG wouldn’t have been able to avoid the collision regardless of any actions by the container ship.


90 posted on 06/23/2017 11:32:43 AM PDT by Bob (Damn, the democrats haven't been this upset since Republicans freed their slaves.)
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To: Mariner

There are very few possibilities here:

The freighter colluded with the Klingons and had an operational cloaking device.

The Navy now requires their lookouts to be blind in one eye and unable to see out the other.

The idea of one poster that the freighter lured the destroyer in (promises of naked women?) and then “punched it” is at least creative. I don’t advise that as a legal defense at the courts-martial.

Seriously folks, the destroyer was in the wrong, period. No matter what the condition of any electronics, radar, GPS, or whatever, the sailors on lookout and the bridge watch should easily have seen this freighter, even at night. There was no reported fog.

Any questions? If so, read: The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions but is better know by its acronym “COLREGs”.

The destroyer has AN/SPY-1 three dimensional RADAR, variable pulse width surface RADAR, AIS transceivers and a hull mounted sonar array tied into an Electronic Warfare Suite capable of tracking objects of small size moving at a high speed in real time.

The OOD has some ‘splaining to do.


91 posted on 06/23/2017 11:32:51 AM PDT by gandalftb
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To: BlueLancer

A case of zigging when it should have zagged.


92 posted on 06/23/2017 11:37:12 AM PDT by Rebelbase (Hack-proof tagline.)
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To: Rebelbase
a case of zigging when it should have zagged.

You just might have hit on something there!

93 posted on 06/23/2017 11:41:51 AM PDT by Fightin Whitey
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To: gandalftb

“The freighter colluded with the Klingons and had an operational cloaking device.”

I guess we’ll just have to go with that one until proven otherwise.

At the General Courts Martial where at least half a dozen will be rightfully convicted of manslaughter. And destruction of government property, and dereliction of duty, and criminal negligence...and whatever else they come up with.

These folks should not be worried about their careers though. They should be worried about their freedom for the next 25 years.


94 posted on 06/23/2017 11:45:29 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: doorgunner69

“””That is obvious , except to the hysterics here that want to see all sorts of nefarious things in the track.”””


It is not only the hysterics.

Far too many Navy brass have pushed weird happenings. Here is but one-—
“”Certainly one of the conclusions one has to consider that this was a purposeful act to ram the Fitzgerald,” observes James “Ace” Lyons, who commanded the Pacific Fleet during the 1980s. Speaking to radio program “Sandy Rios in the Morning” on American Family Radio, Lyons says he doesn’t understand how the merchant ship innocently hit the Fitzgerald.

When the top Navy guy in the Pacific acts like a hysteric, then we all should be concerned about what has happened to our Navy.


95 posted on 06/23/2017 11:45:50 AM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
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To: Ransomed

The time stamps on what I saw don’t agree with that sequence of events but I’ll look around for newer info. Thanks.


96 posted on 06/23/2017 11:46:37 AM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory !!)
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To: Bob

I have been an OOD on a destroyer and sailed through Sagami Wan at night. It like driving the LA freeway at rush hour. The only logical conclusion I can come to is that the Bridge Watch on the Fitzgerald is responsible for this collision. Bad information, bad decisions, bad conduct, take your pick. The result of their actions cost the lives of seven sailors and may very well result in the USS Fitzgerald being stripped for parts and sold for scrap.


97 posted on 06/23/2017 11:48:06 AM PDT by Bull Snipe (t)
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To: BlueLancer

Yeah, the powerful radars mounted on the superstructure and all the electronic sensors are clear in that picture of a DE somewhere in the North Atlantic during WWII. I forgot the Fitzgerald was in hot pursuit of a German U-boat, too. Thanks.


98 posted on 06/23/2017 11:48:50 AM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory !!)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter

LOL

He was Cinc Pacflt under REAGAN!

Now he’s just looking for a pay day hawking crazy stuff on TV.


99 posted on 06/23/2017 11:49:04 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner

I haven’t seen much from Bill Gertz in a while. What’s he covering these days?


100 posted on 06/23/2017 11:50:59 AM PDT by Defiant (The media is the colostomy bag where truth goes after democrats digest it.)
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