[rlmorel]

Agreed 100%. I cannot think even of any best case scenario that exonerates the navy vessel.

[Presbyterian Reporter]

“I cannot think even of any best case scenario that exonerates the navy vessel.”

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I am thinking that is why the ACX Crystal owners gave the Captain’s report to Reuters. The Crystal owners were growing weary of the stream of media stories about the Crystal being on autopilot which implied nobody was on the bridge.

The USS Fitzgerald has been stationed at Yokosuka for 13 years. The officers and crew would be very knowledgeable of the traffic patterns approaching Yokohama.

Prior to the collision the ACX Crystal was following the same course as other ships follow when they approach Yokohama.

[libstripper]

I've been a boater for about fifty years, starting right out of law school with a Klepper kayak, going on to a 29’ cruising sail boat, and now a 24' power cruiser. I've also taught Piloting, Advanced Piloting, Junion Navigation, and Navigation courses for U.S. Power Squadrons, meaning I have good credentials for what I'm saying.

Returning to this immediate situation, I think it would be a very good idea for that OOD to get himself or herself an excellent criminal lawyer because the failure to maintain a proper lookout and take effective evasive action could easily be deemed reckless and lead to a conviction for the naval equivalent of involuntary manslaughter, something that would very likely happen to a civilian skipper in a similar situation.