Japanese destroyer tried to stop before collision: defense chief

Minor injuries but will involve major paper-work for insurance claims and related settlements.

MSDF ships seem to often collide with other ships. Is that part of the training?

It seems like the destroyer was the 'stand on' vessel, however it still needed to try to avoid collision. If the helmsman of the stand on vessel sees a green light (starboard or right side of the other ship), he should stand on, but without getting into a collision situation. The news said the tides were very strong so the ships could have been drifting sideways.

MSDF seems to be doing more damage to S. Korean shipping than N. Korea. I think there should be a six party discussion on this matter.

Saw this on the morning news, the war canoe had its bow rammed in nicely. Don't know who is going to be found at fault, however, I would assume that the officers of the watch on the MSDF vessel are all for the high jump.

At the same, however, it is good that nobody was killed.

Seems the driving at sea is just as bad as on the roads!

Whatever the outcome of the investigation is, the Kurama's skipper is done.

This is the second time this ship has been in a collision? Sounds like the skipper is done.

Anyway, glad no one was hurt.

smithinjapan

This is the second time this ship has been in a collision?

???

Obviously, there were Toyota mats under the gas pedal. Someone is going to lose rank and have their license taken away.

Passing in a No Passing zone, typical for our Japanese brothers.

Midnightpromise

You mean our South Korean friends who pass in No Passing Zones...

For anyone who watched the news, notice the Korean ship was damaged on the forward starboard (right) side. If it had been sailing correctly and aware of the oncoming JMSDF destroyer it would have been on the opposite side. Oncoming ships always pass to port (the one coming at you would pass on your left side). The damage seems to indicate the Korean ship crossed in front of the destroyer and got t-boned! If the destroyer was in full reverse at the time it knew the kimchee was about to hit the fan! It will be interesting to seem the official outcome and it is really amazing that there were so few injuries.

Aboard the destroyer, one person suffered lacerations, two became sick after inhaling smoke from the fire, and three others were later injured while fighting the fire,

err, Smithy?

Quote from above article: "‘‘The (MSDF) vessel was going backwards, but it was too late’’ to avert the collision, the minister said, citing information provided by the Kurama’s captain. "

I wonder if this means that the vessel was going backwards, or does it mean that the engines were in full reverse? (Two completely different things.) A mistranslation?

Also, I would like to know which way the water is 'swift-flowing'... adding speed to which ship?

OK, found this at: asahi.com 　北沢俊美防衛相は２８日の記者会見で、「コンテナ船との衝突を回避するため、（エンジンの）逆進をかけたが間に合わなかった」と状況を説明した。 The Defense Minister states that the captain put the engines into reverse, but there wasn't enough time left to avoid a collision...

JT's headline is correct. Kyodo's translation somewhat off.

bobbafett: "err, Smithy?"

"I'm glad nobody was hurt", as in BADLY hurt. There are no 'in critical condition' or 'suffered serious wounds', so I don't consider it to be much at all. Allow me to qualify for you though:

I'm glad nobody was SERIOUSLY hurt (or killed, of course).

If you are ever in the area it is worth a little trip down to the water's edge to observe the current; it is like standing beside a swift moving river. Sea lanes are very well defined; almost like a highway and it works well except when somebody crosses the "center line."

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.

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.

i meant "JT readers".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

The responsibility to safely navigate a vessel lies ultimately and completely with the vessel's master and no one else.

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?

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.

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.

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....

Tried to stop? Are there brakes on ships?