NTSB: Incorrect bearing led to OSV fire near Seattle

NTSB: Incorrect bearing led to OSV fire near Seattle

(WASHINGTON) — An incorrectly sized bearing led to an engine failure and fire last year on board an offshore supply vessel near Seattle, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. On May 27, 2022, the supply vessel Ocean Guardian was conducting a sea trial in Shilshole Bay when its No. 3 diesel generator engine suffered a mechanical failure, resulting…
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Coast Guard, NTSB investigating U.S. casualties in Antarctic waters

Coast Guard, NTSB investigating U.S. casualties in Antarctic waters

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Coast Guard Activities Europe, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and international flag administrations are investigating marine casualties involving the death or injury of U.S. citizens on foreign-flagged passenger vessels in Antarctic waters between Nov. 15 and Dec. 1, 2022. Among the investigations: • Two U.S. citizens died when an inflatable boat from the Portuguese-flagged passenger vessel…
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NTSB welcomes duck boat safety rules in defense bill

NTSB welcomes duck boat safety rules in defense bill

(WASHINGTON) — National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy welcomed maritime safety improvements in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2023, which President Biden signed into law on Dec. 23. The legislation advances NTSB recommendations for amphibious vessels known as DUKW boats and requires the U.S. Coast Guard to provide an initial response to…
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NTSB finds SEACOR Power crew did not face pressure to sail

NTSB finds SEACOR Power crew did not face pressure to sail

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that crew aboard the liftboat SEACOR Power did not face pressure from the home office to get underway. Thirteen people died when the 233-foot SEACOR Power capsized on April 13, 2021 at about 1537 with 19 people on board during a severe storm that brought heavy rain and winds exceeding 80 mph.…
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Heater aboard bulker in layup cited in $100 million fire

Heater aboard bulker in layup cited in $100 million fire

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued three safety recommendations following an investigation into the Feb. 1, 2021, engine room fire aboard the bulk carrier Roger Blough. Roger Blough was docked in winter layup at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding facility in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., when a fire started in the engine room. The cargo-unloading conveyor belts then…
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NTSB plans public meeting on cause of SEACOR Power capsizing

NTSB plans public meeting on cause of SEACOR Power capsizing

(WASHINGTON) — On Oct. 18, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a virtual public board meeting to determine the probable cause for the 2021 capsizing of the liftboat SEACOR Power. The board will discuss these four safety issues: • Gaps in forecasting and communications of weather events. • Operation and stability of restricted-service liftboats…
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NTSB: More progress needed three years after Conception fire

NTSB: More progress needed three years after Conception fire

(WASHINGTON) — Three years after the fire aboard the Conception dive boat, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says more progress is needed on the safety recommendations it issued as a result of the investigation. Conception was anchored in Platts Harbor, off Santa Cruz Island, Calif., when it caught fire in the early morning of Sept. 2, 2019. The vessel…
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