Master of Grounded Passenger Vessel was Asleep at Helm
New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission has released its report into the grounding of the passenger vessel Fiordland Navigator – attributing the accident to the fatigued master who fell asleep at the helm.
The accident occurred on January 24, 2024. The Fiordland Navigator ran aground while making a turn in Doubtful Sound. There were nine crew and 57 passengers on board, and several people received minor injuries. The vessel was moderately damaged.
The crew responded well to the emergency, safely evacuating passengers to Deep Cove, then to Te Anau that evening, says TAIC. The vessel returned to Deep Cove that night.
“The master almost certainly fell asleep at the controls due to workload-induced fatigue. The master was very likely fatigued from long work hours, which weren’t monitored or effectively managed. The operator’s safety system didn’t track actual rest hours or properly identify or mitigate fatigue risks for sole-charge masters,” states the report.
The master had a valid medical certificate, but medical fitness isn’t just a one-time check. There was no system to assure ongoing medical fitness during the two-year certification period. The vessel’s Senior Launch Master, responsible for safety procedures, had too much work to effectively oversee fatigue management.
The Commission identified four key safety issues:
• Medical fitness standards: Seafarers may not fully understand their responsibilities to report medical conditions affecting their fitness for duty. TAIC recommends that Maritime NZ improve awareness and enforcement of medical fitness standards.
• Fatigue management: The operator’s fatigue-management system didn’t prevent fatigue. The operator has since updated its fatigue policy, introduced new training and monitoring measures, and improved work-hour tracking.
• Sole-charge master risk: RealNZ hadn’t properly identified or mitigated the risks of having a sole-charge master. The operator has added a second person to the wheelhouse during navigation and reinstated the Master’s Assistant role.
• Safety management oversight: The person responsible for day-to-day safety oversight was overburdened, making risk management less effective. The operator has created a Maritime Resource Planner role and adjusted management responsibilities to improve oversight.
TAIC concludes that medical fitness should be continuously monitored, not just at certification. Workload and actual rest hours must be properly tracked and managed. Sole-charge masters pose a safety risk if fatigue is not addressed, and safety systems need enough staff and resources to function effectively.