Japanese destroyer tried to stop before collision: defense chief

Wednesday 28th October, 11:21 AM JST

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nandakandamanda at 08:24 PM JST - 28th October

The local Japanese 7th District Maritime Control body did in fact tell the Korean captain to overtake on the left, apparently! He pulled out and... wham!

Expect more developments to hit the fan.
PepinGalarga at 08:28 PM JST - 28th October

It's good to get some insight from JT with actual experience at sea. Looks like the Korean crew screwed up, but the J-Captain is on the hook for letting himself get hit. Short of a boat falling from the sky right on top of the J-Destroyer, the J-captain would have to accept responsibility.

I guess if NK really wants to sink Japanese ships, they should buy old container ships or beat-up fishing trawlers.
PepinGalarga at 09:52 PM JST - 28th October

i meant "JT readers".
pathat at 11:32 PM JST - 28th October

I seriously doubt this story is as simple as some of the reports from the Japanese side are trying to make it out to be. In the aftermath of the fatal Atago debacle, there will be no limits to what the Japanese spin doctors will do to keep this under wraps. Let's wait and see what else comes out in the coming days.
nandakandamanda at 11:53 PM JST - 28th October

Agreed. I heard this evening on the TV that the local authorities gave the Korean captain the go-ahead to overtake on the left, but at the same time warned him to be careful of the approaching destroyer. The same authorities also admit that they did not warn the destroyer... I expect we'll get some kind of an update tomorrow.
Fadamor at 04:49 AM JST - 29th October

I'm an ex-sailor (destroyers...from 25 years ago) and I can't believe that any maritime agency is going to clear something as un-maneuverable as a container cargo ship to overtake another vessel in a narrow strait. ESPECIALLY when they know that traffic is heading in the opposite direction in the same strait. Yes, the destroyer is more maneuverable, but it's still going to need some time to go from cruising speed to emergency reverse. Forget about the container ship being able to do anything in the time it becomes obvious that there is a collision risk. They're going to need a kilometer or two to stop.

I think the agency that cleared the container ship to pass is in for a serious investigation.
Osakadaz at 08:30 AM JST - 29th October

my school principal was livid about this yesterday..had a right chuckle. "so our navy can't steer and our ships catch fire...the North and South Koreans must be in hysterics over this..." As a country that produced the Collins subs I am not going to take the mickey too much.
wanderlust at 08:45 AM JST - 29th October

Looking at the way the 'tin can' crumpled, it looks like Japan need not build any more warships; just stick some guns and radar on a few container ships... and find some crews with greater situational awareness.
pathat at 09:30 AM JST - 29th October

According to today's Japan Times, it's looking increasingly like another maritime foul-up of massive proportions to be blamed on Japan, and not Korea.

"In the difficult narrow strait separating Kyushu and Honshu, vessels are required to keep to the right as per international navigation rules. But the traffic controller at the JCG's Kammon Strait Maritime Traffic Center in Kitakyushu guided the freighter to the left in order to pass another ship, the JCG said."

"According to the Seoul-based operator of the containership, the captain said he had originally planned to pass the right but his ship was guided to the left by the controller."

"The direction from the traffic controller may have been the cause of the accident," a JCG official said."

"In an apparent effort to dodge responsibility, however, the JCG said the instructions given to vessels by its traffic control centers aren't binding. They are simply "traffic information" for ships to make their own decisions, it said."
USNinJapan2 at 03:35 PM JST - 29th October

The responsibility to safely navigate a vessel lies ultimately and completely with the vessel's master and no one else.
nandakandamanda at 04:44 PM JST - 29th October

One news source mentioned yeaterday that the J destroyer had the whole 270 something crew on watch at the time. How would they do that?
pathat at 09:17 PM JST - 29th October

USNinJapan: I spent several years in the Navy myself and can understand your point, but you should also remember that we are talking about Japan here, and to say that the accident is 100% the Korean captain's fault is not the way the Japanese look at accidents. If the reports are true, the traffic controller from the JCG will bear at least some of the responsibility, regardless of your take on the matter.
USNinJapan2 at 09:54 PM JST - 29th October

pathat

I'm not saying at all that the JCG/Maritime Traffic Controller doesn't bear some of the fault if not most of it. If he indeed gave the Korean master bad instructions then he should be charged or at least officially reprimanded. The point I was making is that no matter what instruction, direction, or advice the Korean ship may have received, it was the responsibility of the Korean skipper (and his bridge watchteam) to ensure that whatever direction they were told to steam was a safe course by using all means available to them, i.e. via radar, via radio, visually, etc. For one thing, the Korean ship should have radioed the ship they were about to overtake to let her know that they would be coming up her port side and also blown her ships's whistle to express the same. I don't know if they did this but if they had I imagine the other ship would hve warned them immediately that there was another oncoming ship ahead of her on the port side. Also, it was a clear night with good visibility so the Korean ship should have seen the oncoming destroyer as soon as it began to pull out from behind the third ship if not before. The situation may have been caused initially by the erroneous instruction from the traffic controller, but that by no means absolves the Korean ship's crew from failing to check to see if it was indeed safe for them to follow those instructions. If you have any experience driving ships then you know that ships like these in conrolled/restricted waters have to be doubly attentive to their environment and that being told it's okay is not a viable excuse for not actually looking past your bow for possible hazards.
Blue_Tiger at 07:26 PM JST - 30th October

Oh, no, here it comes! Another destroyer causing another accident with another commercial, civillian ship. Will this mean the end of another JSDF Captain? Oh, wait, the civvie ship was Korean. Never mind....
Goodguy at 06:48 PM JST - 31st October

Tried to stop? Are there brakes on ships?