The following is a marine accident brief from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB):
Executive summary
A fire that broke out in the forward machinery space of the saturation diving support vessel Ocean Patriot while underway in the Gulf of Mexico on the evening of Nov. 28, 2013, was brought under control by the vessel's fixed fire suppression system without serious injury, and no pollution resulted from the accident. Damage to the Ocean Patriot was estimated to be $9.8 million.
Probable cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the fire on board the Ocean Patriot was damage to electrical cables due to the tightly installed metal securing bands in a cable tray chafing the protective layers of the cables and creating an ignition point. Contributing to the extensive damage was the combustible material stored immediately below the cable tray area, fueling the fire.
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