USS Fitzgerald Collision: Junior Officer Sarah Coppock Pleads Guilty At Court-Martial

The junior lieutenant in charge of navigating the destroyer USS Fitzgerald pleaded guilty Tuesday to accusations in connection with a collision last year that killed seven sailors. Lt. j.g. Sarah Coppock received a punitive letter and will forfeit half a month’s pay for three months as punishment, the navy said.

“Our Sailors personify honor, courage, and commitment,” the statement read, in part. “The Navy will not accept complacency, negligence, or other behaviors contrary to its core values.”

Coppock was serving as officer at the deck at the time the Fitzgerald collided with the container ship MCX Crystal off the coast of Japan on June 17. She was accused of failing to follow the commanding officer’s standing orders and international navigation rules. She was charged for failing to “communicate and coordinate with the Combat Information Center, report ship specified contacts to the commanding officer, operate safely in a high-density traffic condition and alert crew of imminent collision,” according to the charge sheet.

In her plea, Coppock said she failed to execute her responsibilities before and during the collision.

During the sentencing arguments, Lt. Cmdr. Paul Hochmuth said Coppock was not solely to blame for the collision. But he cited her "loss of complete situational awareness" of the destroyer's passage through the busy shipping lane.

"She chose to be blind and never asked for help from the CIC," said Hochmuth.

A navy report released in November found the collision could have been avoided.

“In the 30 minutes leading up to the collision, neither Fitzgerald nor [the commercial ship] Crystal took such action to reduce the risk of collision until approximately one minute prior to the collision,” the report said.

“The Officer of the Deck, the person responsible for safe navigation of the ship, exhibited poor seamanship by failing to maneuver as required, failing to sound the danger signal and failing to attempt to contact CRYSTAL on Bridge to Bridge radio. In addition, the Officer of the Deck did not call the Commanding Officer as appropriate and prescribed by Navy procedures to allow him to exercise more senior oversight and judgment of the situation,” the report added.

After a comprehensive investigation, the navy filed criminal charges against four of the ship's officers, including Cmdr. Bryce Benson. Preliminary court hearings for two junior officers will be held at the Washington Navy Yard on Wednesday, Benson's court hearing is set for May 21.

The seven sailors killed in the collision were Gunner’s Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, Virginia; Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego; Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, Connecticut; Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, Texas; Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlosvictor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, California; Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Maryland; and, Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, from Elyria, Ohio.