Accident Reports

Report issued by MAIB on fatal crush incident during transfer from workboat Beinn Na Caillich to a feed barge

Posted on by News Hound
Report issued by MAIB on fatal crush incident during transfer from workboat Beinn Na Caillich to a feed barge
Report issued by MAIB on fatal crush incident during transfer from workboat Beinn Na Caillich to a feed barge

The MAIB have issued a report into the fatal crush incident involving workboat Beinn Na Caillich. At about 1510 on 18 February 2020, the Ardintoul fish farm assistant manager drowned after falling into the water from a feed barge access ladder during a boat transfer. He stepped from the deck onto the ladder while Beinn Na Caillich was still moving forward and was crushed between the boat and the barge. A fish farm technician on board the barge attempted to stop the injured assistant manager from falling in to the water by holding onto the back of his personal flotation device and oilskin jacket, but the severely injured casualty slipped out of them. Despite the assistant manager being recovered from the water and the determined efforts of the fish farm workers, emergency services, and medical staff, the assistant Continue reading “Report issued by MAIB on fatal crush incident during transfer from workboat Beinn Na Caillich to a feed barge”

Med Tuncer: Fire in enclosed lifeboat while testing batteries report issued

Posted on by News Hound
Med Tuncer: Fire in enclosed lifeboat while testing batteries report issued
Med Tuncer: Fire in enclosed lifeboat while testing batteries report issued

Transport Malta has published an investigation report on the fire on a lifeboat while carrying out tests onboard the Maltese-flagged tanker Med Tuncer in May 2020. The investigation identified a very high short circuit current within the batteries as a probable cause of the incident.

While the oil and chemical tanker Med Tuncer was moored at the Oil Tanking Terminal in Antwerp, Belgium, at 0815 on 14 May 2020, the electrician onboard stepped inside the enclosed, freefall lifeboat to carry out tests on the batteries. During the tests, a fire broke out inside the lifeboat. The fire alarm was raised, and the crew swiftly extinguished the fire. Fire and smoke damage were largely restricted to the interior of the lifeboat and control panel. Continue reading “Med Tuncer: Fire in enclosed lifeboat while testing batteries report issued”

Lube oil contamination due to forgotten rubber membrane seals

Posted on by News Hound
Lube oil contamination due to forgotten rubber membrane seals
Lube oil contamination due to forgotten rubber membrane seals

In a recent publication, the Swedish Club describes a case of lube oil contamination caused by forgotten rubber membrane seals in the engine room of a chemical/oil tanker.

The ship was at anchor off Tenerife. During overhaul work, a large amount of seawater entered the engine room bilge from the inert gas system overboard drain line. This was later estimated to be around 25 cubic metres. Unfortunately, the crew had no knowledge of the problem until one of them rushed into the engine control room and said that he had seen water in the engine room bilges.

The Chief Engineer said, “I was surprised to find out that the inert gas system abnormality alarm had been disabled by a member of my Continue reading “Lube oil contamination due to forgotten rubber membrane seals”

MPV Everest: Overflowing tank shortly before fire is revealed in preliminary ATSB report

Posted on by News Hound
MPV Everest: Overflowing tank shortly before fire is revealed in preliminary ATSB report
MPV Everest: Overflowing tank shortly before fire is revealed in preliminary ATSB report

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has issued a preliminary report from its ongoing investigation into a fire onboard the MPV Everest while on charter to the Australian Antarctic Division, last April.

On the morning of 5 April, MPV Everest was about 1,075 NM north-east of Mawson station in the Southern Ocean on a north-north-easterly course bound for Hobart, with a crew of 37 and 72 expedition staff onboard, the preliminary report details.
Shortly before 1100, the ship’s master saw large flames erupting from open louvres in the port engine room’s exhaust casing, so he raised the alarm and instructed crew and expedition staff to report to their emergency muster positions. Continue reading “MPV Everest: Overflowing tank shortly before fire is revealed in preliminary ATSB report”

Report into fire onboard a bulk carrier at Port Kembla published

Posted on by News Hound
Report into fire onboard bulk carrier at Port Kembla published
Report into fire onboard bulk carrier at Port Kembla published

Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has published an investigation report surrounding a fire onboard a bulk carrier, Iron Chieftan, that took five days to contain and extinguish. The report highlights the lack of adequate regulatory requirements and standards to address the known risk of fire on-board self-unloading ships.

On 18 June 2018, during cargo discharge operations while alongside at Port Kembla, New South Wales (NSW), a fire broke out in the internal cargo handling spaces of the self-unloading (SUL) bulk carrier Iron Chieftain. The ship’s crew initiated an emergency response but shipboard efforts to control the fire were ineffective. The fire soon established Continue reading “Report into fire onboard a bulk carrier at Port Kembla published”

Ferry bottom contact linked to safety management deficiencies

Posted on by News Hound
Ferry bottom contact linked to safety management deficiencies
Ferry bottom contact linked to safety management deficiencies

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has published an investigation report about the bottom contact of the passenger ferry ‘Deer Island Princess II’ near Letete, New Brunswick, in February 2018. It has determined that common safety hazards, such as extremely low tides, had not been identified and mitigated by the operator of the vessel.

On 2 February 2018, the passenger ferry Deer Island Princess II, with 4 people onboard, made bottom contact while transiting from Butler Point, Deer Island, New Brunswick to Letete, New Brunswick. As a result, one of two Z-drive thruster units detached from the vessel. The crew aborted its voyage and was proceeding back to Butler Point Continue reading “Ferry bottom contact linked to safety management deficiencies”

Fire onboard stresses need for continuous monitoring of inactive vessels

Posted on by News Hound
Fire onboard stresses need for continuous monitoring of inactive vessels
Fire onboard stresses need for continuous monitoring of inactive vessels

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published an investigation report on the fire onboard the dive support vessel Iron Maiden, whilst docked at a shipyard in Louisiana, in April 2020. The investigation identified an electrical short from an unidentified source as the main reasons for the incident.

On April 16, 2020, about 0110 local time, a fire onboard the dive support vessel Iron Maiden occurred while the vessel was docked at the Allied Shipyard in Larose, Louisiana. Local firefighters extinguished the fire at 0225. There was no one aboard the vessel at the time of the fire.

Continue reading “Fire onboard stresses need for continuous monitoring of inactive vessels”

Loss of containers off Hawaii due to poor cargo loading procedures

Posted on by News Hound
Several pictures of ship with damaged cargo
Several pictures of ship with damaged cargo

Poor barge loading resulted in the loss of 21 cargo containers into the ocean off the coast of Hawaii last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its report on the accident.

The barge Ho’omaka Hou, owned and operated by Young Brothers, LLC, was being towed by the Hoku Loa approximately 6.9 nautical miles north-northwest of Hilo at the time of the accident on 22 June 2020. The accident resulted in $1.6 million in damages, but no injuries.

The NTSB determined the probable cause of the collapse of container stacks onboard the barge was the company not providing the barge team with an initial barge load plan, as well as inadequate procedures for monitoring stack weights. “That led to the undetected reverse stratification of container stacks that subjected the stacks’ securing arrangements to increased forces while in transit at sea,” the NTSB said. Continue reading “Loss of containers off Hawaii due to poor cargo loading procedures”

Report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard Diversion

Posted on by News Hound
Report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard motor cruiser Diversion published by MAIB
Report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard motor cruiser Diversion published by MAIB

The MAIB has released a report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard the motor cruiser Diversion. At about 2000 on 4 December 2019, the bodies of two men were discovered in the cabin of the privately owned motor cruiser Diversion, which was moored to a quay in the centre of York, England. The bodies were those of the boat owner and his friend, who had spent the previous evening in the city centre socialising with former work colleagues and were spending the night on board.

Both men had died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. The carbon monoxide had leaked into the cabin from the boat’s diesel-fuelled cabin heater exhaust.

Continue reading “Report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard Diversion”

Flooding and sinking of trawler Ocean Quest report published

Posted on by News Hound
Flooding and sinking of trawler Ocean Quest report published
Flooding and sinking of trawler Ocean Quest report published

MAIB have published their report on the flooding and sinking of trawler Ocean Quest.

On 18 August 2019 and about 70 miles north-east of Fraserburgh, the UK registered trawler Ocean Quest, sank as a result of an engine room flood. The source of the flood has not been determined; however, it was almost certainly a result of shell plating or hull weld failure. The crew tackled the flood with fixed and portable pumps but were not able to get the situation under control. The alarm was raised as soon as the flood was discovered, the crew were well prepared for the abandonment and all were rescued safely by a coastguard helicopter.

Safety Issues
Flooding presents an immediate threat, and every effort must be made to pump out the floodwater. In this case, the crew followed their onboard routine for bilge pumping, which meant that sea suction valves were left partly open. This potentially restricted the bilge pumps’ Continue reading “Flooding and sinking of trawler Ocean Quest report published”

MAIB Spring 2021 Safety Digest of accident reports

Posted on by News Hound
MAIB Safety Digest 2021/1
MAIB Safety Digest 2021/1

The Spring 2021 Safety Digest has been published by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. It features 25 case studies involving a range of vessels and accidents. The Safety Digest talks through each scenario and reveals the lessons that arise from each case.

Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Andrew Moll, writes in his welcome and introduction “I would like to start by thanking Fran Collins, David Fuller and Roger Brydges for writing the introductions to the merchant, fishing and leisure sections of this Digest. Their perspectives on maritime safety make compelling reading.

At the MAIB, we try to keep our safety messages fresh. Continue reading “MAIB Spring 2021 Safety Digest of accident reports”

Safety warning about multiple cruise ship anchor failures

Posted on by News Hound
Anchor failures - Image courtesy of the Financial Times
Anchor failures – Image courtesy of the Financial Times

In early 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic forced the international cruise industry into an unprecedented operational pause, resulting in many cruise ships anchoring off the UK south coast for long periods of time. The MAIB has been made aware of several marine incidents of anchor failures since October 2020 where cruise ship anchors or anchor cables have failed, often while trying to ride out named winter storms. One cruise ship lost both its anchors within a week.

The strength of anchoring equipment is defned by ship Classifcation Rules and it is intended for temporary mooring of a ship within a harbour or sheltered area. In good holding ground, the anchoring equipment should be able to hold the ship to a maximum wind strength of 48 knots in fast water, but this reduces to a maximum of 21 knots wind strength in seas with a signifcant wave height of 2m. Continue reading “Safety warning about multiple cruise ship anchor failures”

Instagram Posts from the IIMS @iimsmarine