U.S. Navy Carrier Collides With Bulker off Port Said
The carrier USS Harry S. Truman has collided with a merchant vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, according to U.S. 6th Fleet. The carrier was minimally affected, a spokesman said.
At about 2345 hours, Truman was operating in traffic just off Port Said when she collided with the bulker Besiktas-M. Cmdr. Timothy Gorman, a spokesman for 6th Fleet, confirmed that the collision "did not endanger" Truman, and no injuries or flooding have been reported. The vessel's nuclear propulsion plants are not affected, he said, and are in a "safe and stable condition."
The Navy did not release information about the status and condition of the bulker, but AIS data suggests that Besiktas-M is currently at anchor off Port Said. Besiktas-M is a 2003-built Handymax, and is managed by Synergy and owned by a holding company in the Marshall Islands.
Besiktas-M has accumulated 55 deficiencies in three years, with multiple issues found during nine out of her last 10 port state control inspections. Her most recent inspection was in Aqaba last week. Upon boarding, Jordanian PSC officials found problems with her fire pump and with her voyage data recorder, both useful in the event of a collision. A previous inspection in Ravenna last year found deficiencies with abandon-ship drills, the ship's stability booklet, lifebuoys, MARPOL records and the ship's muster list.
Photo Shows Damage to USS Harry S. Truman After Collision
The U.S. Navy released the first official photo showing the acknowledged damage to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, although some reports indicate further surveys were still underway.
The picture shows damage below the flight deck near one of the carrier’s elevators and observation points. A spokesperson for the Sixth Fleet told Stars & Stripes that the elevator was not damaged, but the picture shows portions of the underside of the observation point ripped open and large scrapes.
Well-known industry commentator Sal Mercogliano posted pictures of the damage to the bulk carrier Besiktas M (53,000 dwt). Mercogliano highlighted the “mooring line spool which has been sheared off and the damage to the starboard forward hatch combing.” The vessel is registered in Panama and managed by Synergy Ship Management. Built in 2003, she has been operating for Black Hawk Shipping of the Marshall Islands since 2015.
U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs issued a brief statement acknowledging that the collision took place at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time, on February 12, while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt. Both vessels were reported to be maneuvering in the busy area north of the Suez Canal. The carrier was returning to the Red Sea area after a working port visit to Crete to give the crew some badly needed R&R after two months of intense engagements with the Houthis.
“The collision did not endanger the Harry S. Truman as there are no reports of flooding or injuries. The propulsion plants are unaffected and in a safe and stable condition,” said the Sixth Fleet spokesperson.
Stars & Stripes is reporting that the Harry S. Truman has remained in the Mediterranean with the damage surveys ongoing and while Navy command determines the next steps. She was traveling with the guided-missile destroyer Jason Dunham which was reported to be close by but not involved in the collision.
Earlier reports erroneously said the Besiktas M was continuing on its trip to Constanta, Romania. Her current AIS signal shows her docked in Alexandria, Egypt.
The Suez Canal Authority has not released an official comment on the incident.
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