KEY POINTS
- The 100,000-ton USS Harry S. Truman was operating near the Suez Canal when the collision took place
- A marine expert noted that the collision area is usually a busy spot, similar to a “school’s out” scenario
- A crew member of the Besiktas-M reportedly posted photos that showed some damage to the cargo ship
- The U.S. Navy 6th Fleet said there was no damage to the Truman and its propulsion plants were ‘unaffected’
The 100,000-ton American aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman collided with a large cargo ship Wednesday night in the Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet revealed Thursday.
The “rare” collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M took place Wednesday in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, while the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was operating in the area.
No Injuries Reported in Collision
As per the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet’s statement, the collision did not result in any danger to the Harry S. Truman and there were also no reports of injuries.
“The propulsion plants are unaffected and in a safe and stable condition. The incident is under investigation,” the statement added.
The massive American aircraft carrier has a 5,000-man crew, while not much is known about the crew of the Panamian-flagged Besiktas-M.
The cargo ship was slightly damaged in the collision, as per ABC News, but no injuries were reported among the merchant vessel’s crew.
The USS Harry Truman, a 1,100-foot-long carrier, has been operating in the Mediterranean since mid-December as part of the U.S. mission to intercept attacks launched by the Houthi militant group from Yemen.
The Yemeni Houthi rebels started attacking merchant ships across the Mediterranean since the war in Gaza, saying their attacks were a show of support for Hamas.
Damage Reported on Besiktas-M: Expert
Marine expert Sal Mercogliano pointed out that if the collision was a “starboard to starboard contact,” the merchant vessel may have hit “some of the under hang” on the Harry S. Truman carrier.
He also posted some photos of the supposed damage the Besiktas-M incurred from the collision, which he said was posted by a member of the cargo ship’s crew.
A photo released from one of the crew of #BesiktasM after the collision with #Truman.
It appears that Besiktas M hit the Truman with her starboard bow. Note the mooring line cable spool sheared off and the damage to the forward starboard hatch coaming.
This damage may indicate… https://t.co/MtXUhg7hSG pic.twitter.com/4I2jCGMrZA
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) February 13, 2025
In a Thursday interview, Mercogliano said the area where the two vessels collided, near the Suez Canal, was “a really busy part of the ocean,” adding that the situation can be compared to when kids have just been out of school and they pour out of the gate, “with a lot of traffic coming out at you all of a sudden.”
He said it appears the USS Harry S. Truman and Besiktas-M ran into each other during the busy period and while there was some damage to the merchant ship, the question remains “whether or not the Truman suffered any major damage.”
It is worth noting that the Besiktas-M is also a huge vessel, at 617 feet. It has since departed from the anchorage north of Port Said.
Flashback to 2004: US Carrier Collides with Small Dhow
The last known incident involving an American carrier happened in mid-2004, when the USS John F. Kennedy collided with a small dhow in the Persian Gulf.
No crew members of the Kennedy were hurt, but a search and rescue operation was deployed to determine whether there were any survivors on the fishing boat. The commander of the aircraft carrier was relieved of his command following the incident.
