MV ACX Crystal Collision Causes and Consequences

The MV ACX Crystal collision is a significant maritime incident that highlights the importance of safety protocols and emergency preparedness. The ship collided with a Japanese coast guard vessel on September 7, 2012.

The accident occurred in the Tokyo Bay, Japan, during a routine inspection by the coast guard. The MV ACX Crystal was on a voyage from Tokyo to Osaka when the collision took place.

The incident resulted in significant damage to both vessels, with the coast guard ship suffering a hole in its hull. The MV ACX Crystal also sustained damage, but fortunately, there were no fatalities or serious injuries reported.

The collision was attributed to a combination of factors, including the ship's navigation error and the coast guard vessel's unexpected maneuver.

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The MV ACX Crystal is a container ship owned by the Olympic Steamship Co SA, Panama. It was built by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding at Changwon, South Korea, and entered service in August 2008.

The ship is 222.6 metres (730 ft) long overall, with a beam of 30.1 metres (99 ft) and fully laden draws 12 metres (39 ft) of water. It has a container capacity of 2,858 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

Here are some key specs about the MV ACX Crystal:

The MV ACX Crystal is classified by the Japanese classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) and insured with the Japanese Shipowners P&I Association.

The collision between MV ACX Crystal and USS Fitzgerald was a complex incident with some discrepancies in the reported time.

The initial time of the collision was unclear, but it was later determined to be around 01:30 local time on 17 June 2017.

The Japan Coast Guard and ACX Crystal's operator, NYK Line, confirmed that the collision occurred at around 01:30 after further investigation.

ACX Crystal made a sudden turn, according to Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, which was reported to be at 01:30.

The US Navy initially reported the event to be at 02:20, but later stated that they were not disputing the Japanese Coast Guard and ACX Crystal's captain's timeline.

The Navy's report released on 1 November confirmed the time of the collision as 01:30:34.

The investigation is still ongoing, and the Japan Coast Guard is looking into whether the collision was reported promptly.

The investigation into the collision between MV ACX Crystal and USS Fitzgerald found that Crystal was operating on autopilot until shortly before the collision, and did not sound blasts or attempt radio communication with the Fitzgerald prior to the collision.

The owners of the Crystal agreed to pay nearly $27 million in damages to the U.S. government. This is a significant amount, and it highlights the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions.

The investigation also found that the duty officers on the Crystal did not take sufficient steps to detect the risk of, or attempt to avoid, a collision.

The investigation into the USS Fitzgerald collision revealed some disturbing behavior from the ACX Crystal, the container ship that struck the destroyer. ACX Crystal continued on course for 30 minutes after the collision, then returned to the collision location before resuming its original course.

The US Navy's investigation was hindered by the fact that ACX Crystal's captain reported that Fitzgerald continued sailing on a collision course despite the container ship signalling with flashing lights the imminent danger. The US Navy did not comment on this report.

A US Navy official, speaking off the record, stated that the US Navy would not allow crew members of Fitzgerald to be interviewed by officials from other countries due to sovereign immunity.

The ACX Crystal was found to be operating on autopilot until shortly before the collision, failing to sound blasts or attempt radio communication with the USS Fitzgerald prior to the collision.

The Crystal's duty officers did not take sufficient steps to detect the risk of, or attempt to avoid, a collision.

The owners of the Crystal agreed to pay nearly $27 million in damages to the U.S. government.

The investigation found that the Crystal's crew members, all 20 of them, were Filipino and none were injured during the collision.

The ship was not leaking oil, according to the NYK statement, and they cooperated fully with the Japan Coast Guard's investigation.

The US Navy's Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral William Moran, stated that the Fitzgerald's bridge team made "serious mistakes" which led to the collision.

The MV ACX Crystal was involved in a collision with the USS Fitzgerald in 2017, resulting in significant damage to the destroyer. The incident occurred on June 17, 2017, near Shizuoka, Japan.

Seven Navy sailors were found dead in the damaged, flooded starboard compartments of the Fitzgerald. The merchant ship's port bow and bulbous bow suffered minor damage.

The US Navy's investigation found that serious mistakes were made by the Fitzgerald's bridge team, causing them to lose situational awareness. This led to the collision, which could have been avoided if international navigation rules had been followed.

The incident led to the removal of six senior officials from duty in the US Navy. The families of the sailors who died in the collision later sued the Japanese company that had chartered the ACX Crystal for damages.

In June 2017, the ACX Crystal collided with the USS Fitzgerald, resulting in severe damage to the destroyer.

The incident occurred near Shizuoka, Japan, about 56 nautical miles south of the Yokosuka naval base. The merchant ship's port bow and bulbous bow suffered minor damage.

Seven Navy sailors were found dead in the damaged, flooded starboard compartments of the Fitzgerald.

The incident led to a thorough investigation, with the Japan Coast Guard and US Navy working together to determine the cause.

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral William Moran stated that "serious mistakes" were made by the Fitzgerald's bridge team, which caused them to lose situational awareness.

These mistakes made it impossible to avoid the collision, even after the ACX Crystal was sighted.

In 2019, the families of the seven sailors who drowned on board the Fitzgerald joined 40 shipmates injured in the collision to sue the Japanese company that had chartered the ACX Crystal.

The complaints seek more than $287 million in damages, citing the failure of the ACX Crystal's crew and officers to follow established international navigation rules.

The MV ACX Crystal's status changed to "Not Under Command" several hours after departing the collision area. This is not a normal condition, and it would be interesting to learn what was going on on the vessel during this time.

The ship continued North for 106 minutes, passing Izu Oshima Island, before switching to broadcasting the anomalous status. It then dropped to 2 kph, detoured Westward on a slow 3-hour-and-20-minute crawl, and returned to an Eastward course.

The MV ACX Crystal's status changed back to "Underway Using Engine" at 0249 UTC on 17-June, and it sped back up to 24 kph. From this point, it continued onward to Tokyo without further incidents or abnormal changes in course or speed.

Two ships, the MV Golden Izumi and the MV Atlantic Eagle, were virtually "ships passing in the night" with the MV ACX Crystal, missing each other by 12-15 minutes.

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The investigation into the MV ACX Crystal's unusual course changes is ongoing. Japanese authorities are currently analyzing the ship's physical sensors to determine what happened during the 11-hour window between 1630-0300 UTC.

These changes in course, speed, and status are not typical for a ship cruising at sea, and it will be interesting to see what the investigators discover. Hopefully, their findings will shed some light on what went wrong.

The investigators will be looking into the ship's systems and data to understand the sequence of events. This will help determine the cause of the unusual behavior and identify potential safety improvements.

The outcome of this investigation will be crucial in making shipping safer for all.