Re:USS McCain collision ultimately caused by UI confusion
by sandworm101 on Friday November 03, 2017 @09:30AM
(#15619026)
>>> The brass hated it. The person in the pilot's seat was really the one in charge. The officers were just back-seat drivers.
Which is why pilots in modern air forces are officers. It isn't about guarding traditions. It's about the level of training and responsibility needed when navigating a vessel. The Albacore operated in a totally different environment. Its "pilot" wasn't navigating in a busy shipping channel and could turn on a dime. The reason that the watch officer doesn't operate the control is because that frees him/her to concentrate on actual navigation, the forward thinking needed when operating a huge object that cannot turn on a dime. Civilian vessels at sea are going from A to B. For a military vessel (ship or aircraft) the A->B navigation is one of many different missions going on simultaneously. That's why they need more heads making decisions.
" ... did not have the right type of watch on duty for navigation in congested waters ... "and neither attempted to make contact through Bridge to Bridge communications."
The system did not fail. The system wasn't implemented. UI issues were secondary to the fact that this was an undermanned ship with an unconfident crew.
Which is why pilots in modern air forces are officers. It isn't about guarding traditions. It's about the level of training and responsibility needed when navigating a vessel. The Albacore operated in a totally different environment. Its "pilot" wasn't navigating in a busy shipping channel and could turn on a dime. The reason that the watch officer doesn't operate the control is because that frees him/her to concentrate on actual navigation, the forward thinking needed when operating a huge object that cannot turn on a dime. Civilian vessels at sea are going from A to B. For a military vessel (ship or aircraft) the A->B navigation is one of many different missions going on simultaneously. That's why they need more heads making decisions.
" ... did not have the right type of watch on duty for navigation in congested waters ... "and neither attempted to make contact through Bridge to Bridge communications."
The system did not fail. The system wasn't implemented. UI issues were secondary to the fact that this was an undermanned ship with an unconfident crew.