(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday that distraction and failure to maintain a proper lookout caused a 2024 fatal collision between a bulk carrier and towing vessel near Lynchburg, Texas.
The bulk carrier Yangze 7 and the towing vessel Miss Peggy collided on July 19, 2024, while both were inbound in the Houston Ship Channel. Miss Peggy capsized and sank with five crewmembers on board. Four crewmembers, one of which sustained serious injuries, were recovered by a good Samaritan vessel and the fifth crewmember was later found deceased in the wreckage.
NTSB investigators found the pilot who was directing the movement of Yangze 7 had been on a non-operational cellphone call with another pilot, who was directing the movement of another vessel, for 39 minutes before the collision, distracting him from his duties. The call ended two minutes and 16 seconds before the collision. This distraction resulted in the pilot being unaware of the presence of Miss Peggy.
The NTSB issued two safety recommendations: one to the U.S. Coast Guard and one to the American Pilots’ Association. The NTSB recommended the Coast Guard prohibit the non-operational use of personal electronic devices by persons directing the movement of a vessel through the waterways under its jurisdiction. The NTSB also recommended the American Pilots’ Association develop and implement guidance prohibiting non-operational use of personal electronic devices by pilots actively directing the movement of a vessel, and to encourage their member associations to adopt such guidance in their operational rules and policies.
The NTSB determined that distraction by personal electronic devices was either a contributing factor or the probable cause in at least 10 marine casualties between 2009 and 2024, killing three and injuring 45.
Both vessels also did not maintain a proper lookout while transiting. The captain of Miss Peggy did not detect Yangze 7 approaching from astern, and the bridge team of Yangze 7 did not detect Miss Peggy until the towboat was less than a ship’s length ahead. Regulations and long-standing prudent maritime practice require a proper lookout, by all available means, for safe navigation.
Click here to read the complete report.
– National Transportation Safety Board
