730 feet long, 30 feet wide,38.730 horsepower, and nobody was driving. Nice!

Pretty likely that everyone on board was asleep.

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/freighter-autopilot-hit-us-destroyer/

"Private naval analyst Steffan Watkins said the course data indicates the ship was running on autopilot. "The ACX Crystal  powered out of the deviation it performed at 1:30, which was likely the impact with the USS Fitzgerald, pushing it off course while trying to free itself from being hung on the bow below the waterline," Watkins told the Free Beacon.

The ship then continued to sail on for another 15 minutes, increasing speed before eventually reducing speed and turning around. "This shows the autopilot was engaged because nobody would power out of an accident with another ship and keep sailing back on course. It’s unthinkable," he added.

Watkins said the fact that the merchant ship hit something and did not radio the coast guard for almost 30 minutes also indicates no one was on the bridge at the time of the collision.

It still remains to be seen why the Fitzgerald failed to see this coming, but seriously, WTF.

Quote:


Not likely IMO. Too many other countries and agencies involved in the investigation. Even if you accept that  the US, or the US Navy, has some mysterious,nefarious, reason for a cover-up of some kind, which I don't, there is no way that the real story isn't going to come out anyway. Believe me, whomever is on the hook for the liability insurance for the container ship company is going to find out exactly what the f*ck happened and why
.
I'm quite sure that folks on the Fitzgerald f*cked up too, but nothing I've seen or read so far leads me to believe that this was anything but an accident. And the primary culpability lies with the crew of the container ship. No vessel is supposed to be underway, ever,autopilot notwithstanding, without qualified human watchstanders on the bridge and elsewhere,

Thanks Old and Slow for the posting.  I think we all feel sadness for the loss of life , limb and careers for the sailors  and their families.