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THE US NAVY has identified seven sailors killed when their destroyer collided with a container ship off Japan, smashing the side of the ship and flooding berths where the crew were sleeping.
The sailors, aged between 19 and 37, were reported missing after Saturday’s predawn collision which triggered a major US-Japanese search operation.
Their bodies were found a day later when the ship returned to port and divers scoured damaged areas of the 154-metre (500-foot) Fitzgerald, which was commissioned in 1995 and deployed in the Iraq war in 2003.
“The remains of seven sailors previously reported missing were located in flooded berthing compartments, after divers gained access to the spaces,” the Navy said Monday.
The collision happened 56 nautical miles (104 kilometres) southwest of Yokosuka, where the Fitzgerald is based, in a busy shipping channel that is a gateway to major container ports in Tokyo and nearby Yokohama.
There have been several collisions involving large vessels in the area over the past five years and attention is now turning to the investigation into what caused the deadly accident.
The container ship, the 222-metre Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal, made a 180 degree turn shortly before the accident, according to data from the Marine Traffic website. It was not immediately clear what prompted the sharp turn.
The huge commercial vessel came into port with large scrapes on its bow, but none of its 20 crew were injured.
Right of way
Japan’s coastguard is conducting a probe, including interviewing the Japanese-owned container ship’s Filipino crew, although the US has primary jurisdiction in probing accidents involving military personnel.
Citing local investigators, Japan’s top-selling Yomiuri newspaper said Monday that the damage on both ships suggests they were travelling in the same direction when the crash occurred.
Under maritime law, the container ship had an obligation to avoid a collision if it was trying to overtake the destroyer from behind.
But if the container vessel was approaching from the US ship’s right side, the destroyer had the obligation to give it the right of way, a Japanese coastguard spokesman said.
“Generally speaking, if a ship sees another vessel on its right hand side it has the obligation to avoid” a collision, he added.
The navy and coastguard are conducting separate investigations, but the Japanese side will ask for US cooperation in its inquiries, a spokesman for Japan’s transport safety board told AFP.
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Sounds like a Stalker’s Paradise.
Why not have speed date flight where everyone moves every few minutes. After the seat belt light is switched off of course.
Sweet, whole row to myself. (At least on flights that aren’t fully booked)
Well if you look like an egg I wouldn’t wonder why :)
Oh Peter. That made me laugh so much. Thanks for brightening my day.
Hilarious Peter. Ha
Just puta photo of a fat guy with red birthmark on face… You will then have 3 seats to yourself,
As cabin crew myself…..are you effing serious?????? KLM must be desperate for passengers!
A sure way to be seated next to a cat owner, stalker, rapist or axe murderer…..fortunately airport security should sort out the last one!!!!
Could we get the opposite? A chance to veto who can sit beside us based on profile…
“Hannibal Lector wishes to sit beside you. Allow Yes/No?” I would be interested in knowing the girth of the passenger.
Novel idea bound to catch on
For people who hate the idea just opt not to participate but wouldn’t it be great if it meant all the chatty people would seek each other out and leave the book readers, sleepers, thinkers alone
Good point :-)
Was at a Salesforce event at September, KLM had presentation about there company and leveraging social media. Unbelievable stuff, they really showed what companies can do when you think different. Well done KLM, keep up the good work.
Fail..
No way to let KLM share my FB profile to any passengers that I dont know and totally stranger to me….
I fly KLM long-haul regularly – will now consider changing carriers.
Are they serious? Sad….. What is the world coming to?
Sexy…
I am sure it would be an empty flight if people saw that Salman Rushdie was aboard!
While it’s nice to meet interesting people and I like my social media, isn’t this just a tad creepy :-o
So if you don’t pick your seat, the person beside you will assume you have, awkward, no?
Do we get to see the FB profile of the pilot ?
Like Irene said, it is just an option. Nobody will be forced to select a ‘flight companion’! Remember, there are millions of people out there who would genuinely love this. We all know the type – they have over a thousand facebook friends, they follow anything and everything on Twitter and they’re likely helping G+ simply by logging in. Whether you like it or not people can be quite voyeuristic. That’s the inconvenient truth for you lot who panned it straight away. Social media is a tool for spying and allowing others to spy on us. If any of you ever do fly with KLM, let me know whether you were tempted to tick the box or not. I know where my money is!
Personally, I think KLM have really put a lot of thought into this, and it is something that just might offer further insights to our behaviour with social media. Well done KLM, keep up the good work.
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