Working Conditions Aboard the Acx-Crystal

On November 18, 2019, the families of seven sailors who tragically lost their lives aboard the USS Fitzgerald, along with 40 crew members injured in the incident, initiated legal action against the Japanese chartering company responsible for the merchant vessel ACX Crystal. The legal representatives assert that the lethal collision could have been completely avoided if the crew of the ACX Crystal had adhered to internationally recognized navigation protocols designed to prevent maritime accidents. The lawsuits collectively demand over $287 million in damages, highlighting the serious implications of negligence at sea and the urgent necessity for strict compliance with maritime safety regulations.

On July 17, 2017, the USS Fitzgerald was involved in a devastating collision with the ACX Crystal, primarily due to the failure of an officer steering the warship to recognize the imminent danger posed by the oncoming vessel. This conclusion was reached by the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) in a report released on August 29, 2019. At the time of the accident, the USS Fitzgerald was navigating at a speed of approximately 37 kilometers per hour, having just departed from the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture. As the Fitzgerald sailed through waters east of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, it encountered the ACX Crystal, which, alongside another vessel, was also moving eastward and approached from the warship's right front. At 01:28 a.m., the USS Fitzgerald crossed in front of the other ship prior to colliding with the ACX Crystal two minutes later. Ten minutes before the collision, a crew member of the Fitzgerald warned the officer in charge about the potential for a collision; however, this warning went unheeded as the officer was distracted by the other nearby vessel. Consequently, the Fitzgerld continued forward without reducing its speed. A disruption in the destroyer's radar system compromised situational awareness for the crew, as no lookout positions were established. Alarmingly, the officer acknowledged the risk of a collision just three minutes before impact. Despite ordering evasive maneuvers, including a right turn and an increase in speed, the officer retracted these orders shortly thereafter. The ACX Crystal, perceiving that the USS Fitzgerald bore the primary responsibility for avoiding the collision, was reportedly too slow to execute its own evasive actions. Tragically, seven U.S. sailors lost their lives due to this accident, prompting the removal of the Fitzgerald's captain from command along with the dismissal of two other senior officers from their roles aboard the warship.

On April 16, nearly two years after its fateful encounter with the container ship ACX Crystal on June 16, 2017, the US Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald proudly left drydock in Pascagoula. This departure marks a significant milestone in the vessel's lengthy repair journey following the collision that occurred 56 miles southwest of Yokosuka. The destroyer has now begun further repairs at the Huntington Ingalls Industries - Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard. The repair process aimed to restore critical operational capabilities and functionality across various systems, including Hull, Mechanical and Electrical (HM&E), Combat Systems (CS), and Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C5I). The successful launch and mooring of the USS Fitzgerald signal its progressive return to being a fully operational, combat-ready ship. For detailed insights and photographs of this key moment, visit the US Naval Institute's report: https://news.usni.org/2019/04/16/uss-fitzgerald-leaves-mississippi-drydock-after-more-than-a-year-of-repairs.