Navy officer blamed for ship collision

Navy officer blamed for ship collision

SINGAPORE: A naval officer was responsible for a collision three
months ago between a Singapore patrol vessel and a container ship
that left four servicewomen dead, an official investigator said
on Friday.

Lt. Ng Keng Yong made "errors of judgement" that led the anti-
submarine patrol vessel RSS Courageous into the path of the
Dutch-owned ANL Indonesia on Jan. 3, investigators from the
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.

A trainee officer of the watch, Lt. Chua Chue Teng, was in
control of the vessel at the time of the collision but was under
the direct supervision of Ng, who approved the trainee's
instructions to change course.

As the two vessels headed towards each other in the eastern
Singapore Straits near Pedra Branca Island, the trainee ordered
the 452-ton RSS Courageous to change course to port, or the left
side. -- AFP