2017 — Aug 21, USS John S. McCain collision with merchant ship Alnic MC ~Singapore–10
–10 Channel NewsAsia. “US warship collides with oil tanker near Singapore…” 8-21-2017.
–10 CNN/Lendon. “Navy wants answers after warship, merchant vessel collide.” 8-21-2017.
–10 USN. “US Navy identifies one dead, nine missing USS John S. McCain sailors.” 8-24-2017
Narrative Information
USN, Aug 21, 3:42 AM: “Changi Naval Base, Republic of Singapore (NNS)…. The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) has arrived at Changi Naval Base following a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore on Aug. 21.
“The collision was reported at 6:24 a.m. Japan Standard Time. Significant damage to the hull resulted in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery, and communications rooms. Damage control efforts by the crew halted further flooding.
“There are currently 10 Sailors missing and five injured. Four of the injured were medically evacuated by a Singapore Armed Forces helicopter to a hospital in Singapore for non-life threatening injuries. The fifth injured Sailor does not require further medical attention….” (U.S. Navy. “USS John S. McCain Collides with Merchant Ship.” News Release, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs, 8-20-2017, 7:38 AM.)
USN, Aug 24: “Changi Naval Base, Republic of Singapore (NNS) — After more than 80 hours of multinational search efforts, the U.S. Navy suspended search and rescue efforts for missing USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) Sailors in an approximately 2,100-square mile area east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
“Ten Sailors went missing following a collision between the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer and the Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Alnic MC Aug. 21.
“U.S. Navy and Marine Corps divers will continue search and recovery efforts inside flooded compartments in the ship for the missing Sailors.
“The divers recovered the remains of one Sailor, confirmed as Electronics Technician 3rd Class Kenneth Aaron Smith, 22, from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
“Still missing are:
Electronics Technician 1st Class Charles Nathan Findley, 31, from Kansas City, Missouri
Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Abraham Lopez, 39, from Texas
Electronics Technician 2nd Class Kevin Sayer Bushell, 26, from Maryland
Electronics Technician 2nd Class Jacob Daniel Drake, 21, from Ohio
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Timothy Thomas Eckels Jr., 23,…Maryland
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Corey George Ingram, 28, from New York
Electronics Technician 3rd Class Dustin Louis Doyon, 26, from Connecticut
Electronics Technician 3rd Class John Henry Hoagland III, 20, from Texas
Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Logan Stephen Palmer, 23, from Illinois
“Multinational search efforts included ships and aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Navy, Singapore Air Force, Singapore Maritime Port Authority, Singapore Police Coast Guard, Royal Malaysian Navy, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Indonesian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.
“The incident is under investigation to determine the facts and circumstances of the collision. (U.S. Navy. “US Navy Identifies One Dead, Nine Missing USS John S. McCain Sailors.” News Release, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs, 8-24-2017, 9:11 AM.)
Newspapers
Aug 21, 8:25 AM: “Singapore: A search and rescue operation is under way for 10 US sailors after a US warship and an oil tanker collided off the coast of Singapore on Monday morning (Aug 21).
“The guided-missile destroyer USS John S McCain collided with merchant vessel Alnic MC east of Singapore at around 5:30 am. The warship was heading to Singapore for a routine port call, the US Navy said in a statement.
“Five US sailors were injured in the collision – four were evacuated by helicopter to the Singapore General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while the fifth did not need further medical attention, the statement said.
“No crew members on the oil tanker were injured, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).” (Channel NewsAsia. “US warship collides with oil tanker near Singapore…” 8-21-2017.)
Aug 21, 12:22 PM: “(CNN) — As search teams look for 10 American sailors missing after a Navy warship collided with a commercial tanker Monday east of Singapore — the latest in a series of similar incidents in the Pacific — the US defense brass wants answers.
“Following the collision between the USS John S. McCain, a guided-missile destroyer, and the merchant vessel, Defense Secretary James Mattis said he supports the decision by Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, to conduct a “comprehensive review” of recent US Navy collisions….
“The collision left major damage to the port side of the USS John S. McCain….
“The Navy’s 7th Fleet said the McCain collided with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while the destroyer was making its way to a port in Singapore. The collision was reported at 5:24 a.m. local time, east of the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s most congested shipping routes.
“The Navy reported significant hull damage to the McCain, saying there was flooding in berthing compartments as well as machinery and communication rooms….
“Sen. John McCain joined them and thanked the rescue crews for their service. The destroyer is named for the senator’s father and grandfather, both of whom were Navy admirals. The senator was a captain in the Navy.” (CNN (Brad Lendon). “Navy wants answers after warship, merchant vessel collide.” 8-21-2017.)
Aug 21, 12:30 PM ET: “….The ship had been heading to Singapore on a routine port visit after conducting a sensitive freedom-of-navigation operation near one of China’s man-made islands in the South China Sea, according to the Navy.
“Stealth Maritime Corporation said in a statement that its tanker vessel, the Alnic MC, collided with USS John S. McCain off the coast of Singapore around 5:20 a.m. local time.
“Reports of the damage from the two ships seem to indicate that they were crossing paths, or at least attempting to move in different directions, at the time of the collision.
“The McCain’s hull received significant damage as a result of the accident, according to the Navy. That damage can be seen in photos that show what looks like a wide cave along the side of the ship, where the collision took place….
“Following the collision, adjacent compartments on the McCain, including crew berths, machinery and communications rooms, flooded, according to the Navy, who added that a damage control response prevented the situation from becoming more serious….
“John Richardson, the Navy’s top admiral, is calling for an operational pause in the region and ‘a deeper look into how we train and certify forces operating in and around Japan.’ ‘We’ll examine the process in which we train and certify our forces that are deployed in Japan to make sure we’re doing all we can to make them ready for operations and war fighting,’ Richardson told reporters. ‘This will include, but not be limited to, looking at operational tempo, trends in personnel, material, maintenance and equipment. It will also include a review of how we train and certify our service warfare community, including tactical and navigational proficiency.’
“This particular collision is hardly an isolated incident for the Navy. It comes only two months after the USS Fitzgerald’s collision with a Philippine container ship in the middle of the night off the coast of Japan.[1] Seven U.S. sailors lost their lives in that collision, and last week the Navy relieved the USS Fitzgerald’s commanding officer, executive officer and senior enlisted sailor for mistakes that led to the crash.
“The USS Lake Champlain, a guided missile cruiser, collided with a fishing boat in the Sea of Japan in May. There were no injuries during that incident. The Navy ship tried to alert the fishing boat before the collision, but it was too late.
“The USS Antietam, also a guided-missile cruiser, ran aground off the coast of Japan in February, damaging its propellers and spilling oil into the water.
“The USS John S. McCain is currently berthed at Singapore’s eastern anchorage for inspections, according to Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority.” ABC News (Michael Edison Hayden). “What we know about the latest US Navy collision near Singapore.” 8-21-2017.
Aug 21, Shawn VanDiver/USA Today: “Yesterday, the USS John S. McCain reported a collision with a tanker, the Alnic MC. This marks the second collision at sea in the U.S. Navy’s 7th fleet in two months. It marks the fourth major mishap at sea in 2017.
“The thing is, a collision at sea should never happen aboard a US Navy warship. We have processes in place to prevent them. In the Combat Information Center, there are no windows to look for nearby obstacles, but there are several sailors, both enlisted and commissioned officers, looking at RADAR screens and other military sensors. On the bridge of a destroyer, there are at least five watchstanders, including no fewer than two junior officers, all tasked with making sure the ship gets to where it needs to be and doesn’t hit anything. Finally, there are lookouts, one forward and one aft (the back end of the ship) sitting outside looking for other ships. Given all of that, we know that when a collision at sea occurs aboard a US Navy warship that several processes have failed.
“Generally, when a collision happens, the commanding officer is relieved, along with varying degrees of punishment for officers and senior enlisted members deemed responsible. But this, in my view, is a bigger issue. Both the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain are under the command of Destroyer Squadron 15, based out of Yokosuka, Japan. After this incident, 25% of the total force of Destroyer Squadron 15 is now indefinitely out of commission; during a period of heightened tensions between North Korea and America and her allies. The senseless deaths of so many sailors, indefinite loss of two $2 billion national assets, and nearly a third of sea based ballistic missile defense in the region in a span of two months presents a significant blow to American military strength in the region.
“Firing the commanding officer of a single ship does not begin to correct the years of under-funding ship maintenance, inadequately prioritizing and funding effective shore based watchstander training across the entire Navy, and over promising capability to the higher echelons of command. These ships currently spend an average of 225 days underway a year. If a city had fire engines at fires 62% of the time, with so little time dedicated to maintenance, training, and upkeep, we’d have a lot more buildings burning down. Responsibility lies at the feet of the leaders and the leaders here are the Commander of Task Force 70 and Destroyer Squadron 15….
“…it is time for the Navy to begin a deep-dive investigation into these issues. Issues which are no secret to the admirals serving in forward deployed jobs. Destroyer Squadron 15, Task Force 70, and procedures for all Forward Deployed Naval Forces must be looked at and considered for immediate modification. There must be a better way and it speaks to the Chief of Naval Operations dedication to his team that he ordered a pause to all operations today.
“But the pause is not enough. Congress must also intervene and conduct a full investigation to ensure we are able to quickly and fully rebuild our naval forces in the Pacific region. Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees must join Congressman Ruben Gallego in calling for investigations into these mishaps and how we might modify our military procedures and protocols to prevent further senseless loss of life….” (VanDiver, Shawn (Opinion contributor). “USS McCain collision shouldn’t have happened. We must find out why it did.” USA Today, 8-21-2017, 3:39 p.m. ET.)
Aug 23: “Tokyo — The commander of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet has been dismissed following the USS John S. McCain collision and other recent ship accidents, The Associated Press reported early Wednesday.[2] Rear Adm. Phil Sawyer will command the fleet, according to the AP. Previously, the AP reported, citing an unnamed official, that Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin would be dismissed “due to the leadership’s loss of confidence in this ability to command.” Two officials spoke to the AP about the move….Aucoin had been commander of the 7th Fleet since September 2015.” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Michelle Ewing. “USS John S. McCain collision: Commander of Navy’s 7th Fleet dismissed.” 8-23-2017, 12:58 a.m.)
Aug 24: “After more than 80 hours of searching thousands of miles of open sea, the U.S. Navy now hopes only to recover the bodies lost from the USS John S. McCain after it collided with an oil tanker near Singapore.
“The collision Monday between the McCain — a 500-foot-long guided-missile destroyer — and the Liberian-flagged Alnic MC left five Navy sailors injured and 10 missing. The collision damaged the U.S. warship’s left side, near the stern, punching a hole that stretched above and below the waterline.
“Of the 10 missing, the Navy has found the remains of one sailor in the confines of the ship. The twisted steel of the flooded compartments has hindered additional search efforts as teams of divers try to gain access to parts of the ship that remain underwater. It was still unclear whether the missing bodies are confined to inaccessible parts of the ship or lost at sea….” (Washington Post. “These are the 10 sailors lost from the USS John S. McCain.” 8-24-2017.)
Sources
ABC News (Michael Edison Hayden). “What we know about the latest US Navy collision near Singapore.” 8-21-2017. Accessed 8-21-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/latest-us-navy-collision-singapore/story?id=49332605
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Michelle Ewing). “USS John S. McCain collision: Commander of Navy’s 7th Fleet dismissed.” 8-23-2017, 12:58 a.m. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: http://www.myajc.com/news/national/uss-john-mccain-collision-commander-navy-7th-fleet-dismissed/7125APpqRtuj7axDJHglXN/
CBS/Associated Press. “Navy sacks 7th Fleet commander after 2nd deadly collision.” 8-23-2017. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uss-john-s-mccain-collision-us-navy-7th-fleet-commander-vice-admiral-joseph-aucoin/
Channel NewsAsia. “US warship collides with oil tanker near Singapore; 10 sailors missing.” 8-21-2017. Accessed 8-21-2017 at: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/us-warship-collides-with-oil-tanker-near-singapore-10-sailors-9141592?view=DEFAULT
CNN (Brad Lendon). “Navy wants answers after warship, merchant vessel collide.” 8-21-2017. Accessed 8-21-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/20/asia/us-navy-destroyer-collision-singapore/index.html
CNN/Ryan Browne. “USS Fitzgerald’s leadership removed from their duties over June collision.” 8-18-2017. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/17/politics/uss-fitzgerald-leadership-removed/index.html
United States Navy. “US Navy Identifies One Dead, Nine Missing USS John S. McCain Sailors.” News Release, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs, 8-24-2017, 9:11 AM. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=102094
United States Navy. “USS John S. McCain Collides with Merchant Ship.” News Release, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs, 8-20-2017, 7:38 AM. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=102034
VanDiver, Shawn (Opinion contributor). “USS McCain collision shouldn’t have happened. We must find out why it did.” USA Today, 8-21-2017, 3:39 p.m. ET. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/21/mccain-collision-should-never-have-happened-column/585771001/
Washington Post (Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Alex Horton). “These are the 10 sailors lost from the USS John S. McCain.” 8-24-2017. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/08/24/these-are-the-10-sailors-lost-from-the-uss-john-s-mccain/?utm_term=.7bb232af92be
[1] The Fitzgerald collided with the cargo ship MV ACX Crystal, on 6-17-2017, off the coast of Japan. (CNN/Ryan Browne. “USS Fitzgerald’s leadership removed from their duties over June collision.” 8-18-2017.)
[2] Another source notes he was relieved by U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift. (CBS/AP. “Navy sacks 7th Fleet commander after 2nd deadly collision.” 8-23-2017.)