The Japan Coast Guard has turned over to prosecutors a case against two former watch officers of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis destroyer Atago over its collision with a fishing boat, which claimed the lives of two fishermen. The MSDF must take this tragedy seriously, raise its members' consciousness about safety in navigation and strengthen their education.
The collision occurred around 4:06 a.m. on Feb. 19 about 40 km south of Cape Nojima, Chiba Prefecture. The 7,750-ton Atago was sailing on autopilot when it hit the 7.3-ton Seitoku Maru. Watch crews had changed at 3:55 a.m.
According to the sequence of events reconstructed by the coast guard, the first watch officer noticed a group of fishing boats, including the Seitoku Maru, ahead and to the right of the destroyer around 3:40 a.m. Although the destroyer should have maneuvered to avoid a collision, the first watch officer thought there was no danger. Under the Prevention of Collision at Sea Law, when two ships appear on a collision course, a ship that sees the other to the right must maneuver to avoid a collision.