Marine Accident Investigation News

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into a crush incident on board ro-ro cargo vessel Clipper Pennant in Gladstone Dock, Liverpool, England on July 20, 2021.At 1353 on that day, the bosun was fatally crushed while working on the vessel’s vehicle deck as the vessel was being loaded with a cargo of semi-trailers.A tractor unit driver pushed a semi-trailer into a corner space, marshalled by the vessel’s bosun in their assigned role as banksman. The accident was not seen by the driver, who disconnected the tractor unit and drove away.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has cited survey failings in the results of its investigation into the loss of propulsion control and subsequent contact with a moored barge by Oceandiva London.On June 22, 2023, the inland waterways passenger vessel lost propulsion control and contacted a moored hopper barge at Halfway Reach on the River Thames, London. Oceandiva London was undergoing propulsion trials as part of its Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) survey required…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its report into the death of a seafarer on the bulk carrier Equinox Seas whilst the vessel was undergoing scheduled maintenance in a yard.On April 17, 2023, a crewman on board Equinox Seas was fatally injured when he fell 10m down an open ventilation trunk where a fan had been removed for maintenance by the shipyard. The fitter was recovered from the base of the ventilation trunk and moved to a local hospital, where…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its preliminary assessment of the grounding of the general cargo vessel Baltic Arrow which ran aground on June 25, 2024 near New Dyke Farm on the River Nene while enroute to Wisbech, England.Baltic Arrow had set sail from Riga, Latvia, carrying a cargo of timber. The day before the grounding, the vessel anchored at the Wisbech anchorage off the east coast of England. At 0540 the following day, Baltic Arrow weighed anchor and proceeded to the pilot station where two pilots boarded at 0700.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its report on a fall overboard from the sail training vessel Pelican of London.The incident occurred at 2308 on October 2, 2023 when the volunteer relief cook on Pelican of London fell from the top of the vessel’s gangway into the flooded drydock while under the influence of alcohol. His absence was not noted until the next morning and a search was started. In the early afternoon of October 3, 2023, police divers…

Zelim’s SWIFT man overboard recovery device has received full type approval from classification society Lloyd’s Register, paving the way for the maritime industry’s widespread use of the sea survival safety system.Did You Know? It is estimated that only 17% to 25% of passengers that fall from cruiseships voyages survive. And of all the 308 man overboard incidents reported to the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) between 2015 and 2023, 40% lost their lives.A Certificate…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its preliminary assessment of the grounding of the bulk carrier Indian Partnership on April 23, 2023, and implicated voyage optimization planning.The UK-registered bulk carrier ran aground at 0409 off the coast of Misool Island while transiting the Indonesian archipelago. The grounding caused significant breaches to the hull, leading to water ingress into the duct keel and five ballast water tanks.Indian Partnership had set sail from Skardon River…

Divers scoured the wreck of a luxury yacht off Sicily's coast on Tuesday to find six missing people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and a Morgan Stanley executive, following an intense storm that sank the vessel on Monday.The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-metre-long (184-ft) superyacht, was carrying 22 people and anchored off the port of Porticello when it was hit by the fierce, pre-dawn storm.Fifteen people escaped before it capsized and the body of one person who died was swiftly recovered.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released Accident Investigation Report 6/2024 into the jetty contact by the tanker Ali Ka.The Malta registered oil and chemical tanker made contact with the westernmost section of Oikos Jetty 2 at Canvey Island on the River Thames, England at 0436 on October 25, 2022. The vessel was departing the berth under compulsory Port of London Authority (PLA) pilotage and without a tug in attendance.The impact caused minor damage to the ship but severe damage to the jetty. Ali Ka grounded close to the pier.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its investigation report into the collision between the Kirkella and Shovette on June 24, 2022.While alongside at King George Dock, Hull, England, the crew of the UK registered fishing vessel Kirkella lost control of its propulsion system, and the vessel collided with the unmanned tug Shovette, which was moored ahead of Kirkella.During the collision Shovette’s hull and starboard fuel tank were breached by Kirkella’s bulbous bow.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its report into the grounding of the ro-ro ferry Alfred on July 5, 2022.The ferry grounded on the east coast of Swona Island, Pentland Firth, Scotland. The impact caused injuries to 41 passengers and crew and damage to Alfred’s port bulbous bow and almost all the vehicles being transported on board. The vessel subsequently refloated on the rising tide and continued to St Margaret’s Hope under its own power later that afternoon.

The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) has launched its #SaferSAR initiative which will look to enable global search and rescue (SAR) organisations to better collect, analyse and share maritime SAR incident response data.The aim is to enhance future maritime SAR response operations.The initiative, which is being funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, will encompass a 12-month feasibility study for a globally accessible platform that SAR personnel and organisations can use to share lessons and best practices identified in SAR response…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has published its accident investigation report on the loss of at least 27 lives when an inflatable boat carrying around 33 people became flooded and partially sank during an attempt to cross from France to the UK on November 24, 2021.The events were complex with multiple inflatable boats that were unsuitable and ill-equipped for the journey attempting to cross the Dover Strait to England. The occupants were not trained mariners, and their only means of calling for help was by mobile phone.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has issued a safety bulletin for owners and operators of small commercial passenger vessels urging the review of operations, risk assessments and pre-departure briefings in line with current guidance to ensure passenger safety.Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Andrew Moll OBE, said: “Passenger excursions on RIBs should be a pleasurable experience. This safety bulletin, prompted by a serious spinal injury to a passenger on a sea safari…

The owner and skipper of a rowing vessel has received a 12-month prison sentence after a 21-year-old was lost overboard in the middle of the Atlantic.In February 2016, Michael Johnson was swept overboard by a large wave in the North Atlantic Ocean, between the Canary Islands and Barbados, during a world record row attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 32 days. The seven remaining crew members on board were unable to save Johnson.Simon Chalk, owner of the rowing boat Toby Wallace…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the collision between a general cargo vessel and a split hopper barge in the Bornholmsgat traffic separation scheme off Sweden that resulted in the loss of two lives.The UK registered general cargo vessel Scot Carrier and the Denmark registered split hopper barge Karin Høj collided, resulting in the capsize of the barge and the loss of its two crew on 13 December 2021.Safety issues identified in the…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has issued a safety bulletin following the engine room flooding and foundering of the stern trawler Piedras (FD 528) which led to the failure of a liferaft to inflate. A second liferaft was successfully launched, and the crew were rescued.Both liferafts exhibited deficiencies that raised servicing and certification concerns and are likely to have contributed to the failure, says MAIB. The port liferaft was never recovered, but inspection of the starboard liferaft found that it had not been correctly serviced since manufacture in March 2007…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its accident investigation report into the fatal engine room fire on board Moritz Schulte on August 4, 2020, citing training issues.On 4 August 2020, a fire broke out in the engine room of the liquefied petroleum gas/ethylene carrier Moritz Schulte when the recently promoted third engineer opened an auxiliary engine’s pressurised fuel filter allowing marine gas oil to spray onto an adjacent auxiliary engine’s hot…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its 2022 annual report which includes details of its investigation into pilot ladder safety.The MAIB canvassed 105 UK Competent Harbour Authorities, and this revealed that almost 700 marine pilots conducted over 96,000 transfers underway using a pilot ladder, during which there were over 400 incidents or accidents.Just over half of these were reported to the MAIB, the most serious of which resulted in the pilot suffering…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has highlighted that, on average, crew have under 11 minutes to recover someone who has fallen overboard into cold water before they become unresponsive.An analysis of 20 accidents that occurred between 2017 and 2021 shows that the time decreases as the water becomes colder or the sea state rougher. In some cases, crew had just four or five minutes to coordinate a complex recovery.When examining the rate of successful recoveries…

To mark the start of Maritime Safety Week in the UK starting July 3, The Seafarers’ Charity has funded five episodes of a new maritime safety podcast “Sea Views” in collaboration with The CHIRP Charitable Trust.The podcast is hosted by Julia Gosling, who brings her extensive 20-year experience in maritime safety and search and rescue. She is joined by co-host Adam Parnell, Director of the CHIRP Maritime Programme.“CHIRP's mission is to share insights, raise awareness, and save more lives at sea.

The U.S. Coast Guard convened a Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) -- the highest level of investigation in the Coast Guard -- into the loss of the Titan submersible and the five people on board. The crew of the Polar Prince research vessel lost contact with the Titan submersible 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive on Sunday, June 18, 2023. After an extensive search and rescue effort, wreckage of the Titan submersible was located on the ocean floor approximately 500 meters off the bow of the Titanic.

A U.K. ship pilot has died as result of an accident during a transfer from a pilot launch to a large oceangoing vessel on the east coast of Northern England.The accident occurred on January 8, 2023 in the Humber Estuary, the UK Maritime Pilots’ Association (UK MPA) said in a statement. The U.K.'s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has opened a full investigation into the cause of the incident.Killed in the incident was Capt. Francesco Galia, who served two decades as a pilot.The tragedy highlights the daily risks and challenges of maritime pilots…