An investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) revealed failed engine control transfer led to passenger ferry Radisson to hit a wharf at the Port of Québec, injuring five people.
TSB said the investigation highlighted the need to better manage safety risks following changes to shipboard equipment and to require passenger safety management training for crew members of all passenger vessels.
What happened
On 18 October 2024, while the passenger ferry Radisson was approaching wharf 92 at the Port of Québec, Quebec, bridge personnel noticed that the engine control was not responding. Less than 1 minute later, the vessel struck the wharf at a speed of approximately 6 knots. The master was able to bring the vessel alongside the wharf using the bow thruster. Four passengers and 1 crew member were injured. The vessel sustained minor damage. No pollution was reported.
The investigation
In 2023, after the Radisson’s engine and control system were replaced, a new procedure was developed to transfer engine control between bridge stations. The investigation found that the procedure did not provide sufficient guidance to support crew members during the transfer and that the system did not provide clear cues to confirm whether it had been successful. Although a formal risk assessment had identified hazards associated with the change, crew training was the only step taken to reduce the risks. As a result, previously identified risks remained unmitigated, allowing unsafe conditions to persist.
The investigation also found that gaps in passenger safety management limited the crew’s ability to respond effectively to an emergency, including the absence of realistic emergency drills and the lack of an effective warning to passengers before impact.
The TSB has investigated similar occurrences that identified shortcomings in passenger safety management on ferries including the occurrence involving the passenger ferry Sam McBride, following which the Board recommended that Transport Canada implement a requirement for crew members of all passenger vessels to complete appropriate training in passenger safety management.
Since the occurrence, the Société des traversiers du Québec, owner and operator of the Radisson, has taken several safety actions, including posting remote engine control transfer procedures at control stations, reconfiguring control station panels, and introducing an aural signal that sounds when the transfer process is active.
Read the final report: TSB Canada – M24C0256 Radisson