USS Fitzgerald

The decision ends a legal battle in which the Navy blamed Cmdr. Bryce Benson and Lt. Natalie Combs for what it called an "avoidable" accident. The move is likely to end their naval careers.

A total of 17 crew members were killed. The two incidents called into question the Navy's training procedures and preparation.

The C-2 Greyhound was en route to the USS Ronald Reagan when it went down Wednesday afternoon Japan time. Eight people were recovered and are "in good condition at this time," the Navy says.

The U.S. Navy released its findings on two separate crashes involving destroyers that killed a total of 17 sailors this summer. "Both of these accidents were preventable," the Navy's top officer said.

U.S. warships typically run without transmitting Automatic Identification System, but the Navy is rethinking that after recent accidents involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS McCain.

On June 17, sailors were jolted awake as seawater surged in after a collision. They had minutes to escape. Seven didn't make it. One of them, Gary Rehm, saved a shipmate before he became trapped.

The Navy says the guided missile destroyer sustained "significant damage" in the collision east of the Strait of Malacca, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

"Through their swift and in many cases heroic actions, members of the crew saved lives," the Navy said. It also blamed an avoidable crash on inadequate leadership and flawed teamwork.

How could an advanced combatant crash into a container ship in the middle of the ocean? Investigators begin to look for clues about what happened.