A Case Study of the USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER Collision and its Implications

Abstract

Collisions at sea have and continue to be one of the most misunderstood phenomena of our modem transportation era. This thesis is a case analysis of the USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) collision. Budding on data from the National Transportation Safety Board's and the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps' investigations, it attempts to resolve inconsistencies between these governmental sources and interviews from four of the six principal officers involved in the mishap. The findings reveal that numerous causal factors were not sufficiently explored by the investigative bodies. Of greatest significance was the neglect of the EISENHOWER bridge organization, which was in disarray in the moments prior to the collision. This disorganization was the result of a six-month deployment in which specific Officers of the Deck focused their watch routines on the whims of the ship's Navigator. This dependence resulted in a poor decision process, and ultimately the inability to act appropriately in situations requiring prompt action.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 23, 1993
Accession Number
ADA274926

Entities

People

  • Patrick J. Dennison

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accidents
  • Aircraft Carriers
  • Boats
  • Deployment
  • Employment
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Flight Decks
  • Management Personnel
  • Marine Transportation
  • Naval Vessels
  • Naval Warfare
  • Navigation
  • Navigators
  • Navy
  • Organizational Structure
  • United States
  • Uss Dwight D. Eisenhower

Readers

  • Aviation Safety Risk Assessment.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Theoretical Analysis.