Close name: Warship near-miss was caught on webcam [Screen grab from YouTube]
Thanks to the efforts of San Diego broadcaster NBC7 a redacted model of a Navy investigation right into a “near miss”encounter between two warships final 12 months has been getting extra consideration than it might need. The incident occurred November 29 and concerned USS Harpers Ferry (LSD49) and USS Momsen (DDG92), which got here near colliding because the Momsen was heading into San Francisco Bay and the Harpers Ferry was beneath method from Naval Base San Diego.
The complete incident was recorded on San Diego Web Cam and obtained quite a lot of consideration on YouTube, the place in some posts it was tagged as “Warship Chicken.” Of course, it wasn’t that, however it was undoubtedly an uncomfortably shut name.
Meantime, the webcam that recorded the incident = situated at Cabrillo National Monument — has been taken off line, reportedly beneath NCIS strain — which appears a petty over response because the cam data solely what any vacationer can see. The webcam shutdown is itself making a minor controversy.
REDACTED REPORT
The redacted report of the preliminary enquiry, launched by Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet notes that the near-miss was nicely documented by harbor cameras, put in navigation techniques, and accounts by these concerned, The vessels had been in a position to maneuver previous one another safely, and neither ship was broken.
“This near-miss collision between warships reminds us of the inherent risk present during operations at sea. We must reduce and mitigate those risks through a diligent and focused performance during special evolutions or transits in restricted waters. This preliminary inquiry is an opportunity to critically assess processes and implement lessons learned to ensure this type of incident does not occur again,” says the report..
In abstract, the investigation concluded that the close to miss was a results of:
- failure by Momsen to stick to procedures sustaining a correct watch on bridge-to-bridge because it pertained to the Tactical Communicator Position,
- failure by Momsen to take care of a correct watch on bridge-to-bridge
- failure by Harpers Ferry and Momsen to speak through secondary communication channels
- 4 different objects redacted from the report and
- failure by Harpers Ferry and Momsen Combat Information Centers (C1C) to supply forceful backup to the pilothouse.
WHAT PREVENTED A COLLISION?
Three main occasions prevented this near-miss from being a collision, says the report:
1) the decisive actions taken by the Momsen Commanding Officer (CO) to maneuver to port,
2) the Officer of the Deck (OOD) onboard Harpers Ferry assuming CONN (Conning Officer) and maneuvering to port when he felt the purpose of extremis was reached, and
3) the choice by each the Momsen CO and Harpers Ferry OOD to shift rudders at roughly the identical time to finish a profitable maneuver to secure waters.
EARLIER INCIDENTS
Meantime, the incident is an uncomfortable reminder of the lethal collisions of USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and the ACX Crystal off the coast of Japan on June 17, 2017, and the USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) and the service provider vessel Alnic MC on Aug. 21, 2017, each of which led to suggestions that the Navy reassess the coaching of floor warfare officers in navigational abilities.
