MAIB – Officer of the Watch

MSC Napoli Structural Failure – Investigation Report

October 29, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

During the morning of 18 January 2007, when on passage in the English Channel, the 4419 TEU container ship MSC Napoli encountered heavy seas, causing the ship to pitch heavily. The ship was making good a speed of 11 knots and the height of the waves was up to 9m. At about 1105, the vessel suffered a catastrophic failure of her hull in way of her engine room. The master quickly assessed the seriousness of the situation and decided to abandon ship. Following the broadcast of a distress call at 1125, the 26 crew abandoned the vessel in an enclosed lifeboat. They were later recovered by two Royal Navy helicopters. There were no injuries.

Bulk Carrier Explosion Detaches Poop Deck – Investigation Report

October 15, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

MAIB released this month its Safety Digest for the second semester of 2012. Among others one case refer to an incident where an explosion caused the poop deck to completely detach from the vessel and land on the compartment funnel deck.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORTS Tagged With: bulk carrier, explosion, fire safety, MAIB

Bulk Carrier Hits Bridge in Dock Passage Way – Investigation Report

October 8, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

Antonis, a Greek registered bulk carrier, was being manoeuvred stern-first from the port of Liverpool’s Langton Dock to Alexandra Dock with a pilot on board. As she entered the passageway between the docks, her stern started to drift towards the eastern wall under the influence of a north-westerly wind. The pilot was unable to counter the drift, and the vessel’s hull, in way of a topside fuel oil tank, made contact with the sharp edge of a counterweight fitted on the open swing bridge. This caused a 1.5 metre gash in the vessel’s side that resulted in about 330 tonnes of fuel oil spilling into the dock system.

Death Due to Fall Into Partially Open Hold on Container Vessel – Investigation Report

August 4, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

A few days ago MAIB released an investigation report regarding the death of a crewman due to fall. On 17 December 2011, an able bodied seaman (AB) fell approximately 25m into a partially open hold on the container vessel Tempanos while it was berthed in the port of Felixstowe. The AB, Jose Gonzalez, died of multiple injuries. There were no witnesses to the accident, but the available evidence indicated that he probably slipped on a patch of ice while walking across a hatch cover that was partially covering an open hold.

MAIB Releases 2011 Annual Report

July 26, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

Earlier today MAIB released the Annual Report for 2011 containing information for accident investigations during that period. According to the report there was a wide variety of accidents to merchant vessels investigated during 2011. For the second year in succession there were no UK registered ship losses and the number of accidents, as a ratio of the size of the fleet, was the lowest recorded by MAIB. The number of fatalities on UK registered vessels >100gt has risen slightly compared with 2010, but is still low, and the number of injuries to crew is at its lowest ever level. A further 8 seafarers lost their lives on foreign registered vessels while operating in UK waters, including 6 from the Cook Islands registered bulk carrier Swanland, which sank in heavy weather off the north Wales coast in November.

Rescue Boat Fatal Accident – Investigation Report

July 20, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

At 1549 on 7 February 2011, the rescue boat on board the UK registered car carrier, Tombarra, plummeted approximately 29m from its davit into the water below, killing one of the rescue boat’s four crew. The accident occurred when the boat’s fall wire parted as the boat was being recovered to its stowage during a monthly drill. Tombarra was alongside Royal Portbury Dock, Bristol.

Fatal Injury During Cargo Operations Due to Crewman Fall – Investigation Report

July 14, 2012 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

At 1438 (UTC+1) on 27 October 2011, an able seaman (AB) on board the UK registered cargo vessel Scot Pioneer fell into a void space at the forward end of the ship’s cargo hold. The vessel was loading cargo at Belview Port. Although paramedics treated the AB at the scene, he died from his injuries a short while later.