NTSB – Professional Mariner

03 Jun

Sudden severe weather sinks tugboat south of Galveston

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — Severe weather caused an overwhelming towline force and unrecoverable heeling that led to the capsizing and sinking of a tugboat near Galveston, Texas, last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. On May 13, 2024, while towing the barge MARMAC 27 astern on an 800‑foot‑long wire, the tugboat Baylor J. Tregre encountered severe weather, listed to…

23 May

Towboat grounded when pilot left helm for bladder break

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — A pilot of a towing vessel on the Mississippi River left the helm unattended for several minutes, leading to a grounding near Thebes, Ill., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. While the towing vessel City of Louisville was upbound on the Mississippi River pushing 11 barges on July 29, 2023, it ran aground in a charted…

21 May

NTSB analyzes 34 casualties in new safety digest

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newscasualties, NTSB

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released Safer Seas Digest 2024, which details the most important lessons learned from maritime investigations completed last year. Safer Seas Digest 2024 details the facts and analyzes the probable causes of 34 maritime casualties, including capsizings, collisions, contacts, fires, floodings, groundings and machinery damage. Among the events included in the report…

18 May

Mexican tall ship hits Brooklyn Bridge, killing two

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB

(NEW YORK) — Two people were killed and at least 20 injured Saturday night when a Mexican navy training ship on a global goodwill tour struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge, CNN reported. There were 277 people on the sailing ship, Cuauhtemoc, at the time of the incident. Everyone is believed to be accounted for, officials said Saturday. Video…

13 May

Bulker hits St. Marys River light after steering failure

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, NTSB, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A steering system failure led to a bulk carrier’s contact with a navigational aid in the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The bulk carrier American Mariner struck the Munuscong Channel Junction Light on March 28, 2024, as the ship was transiting upbound in the St. Marys River.…

05 May

NTSB cites exposed ducting in engine room fire on towboat

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — A catastrophic engine failure led to a fire aboard a towing vessel on the Tennessee River last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. An engine room fire broke out on Jan. 30, 2024, aboard the towing vessel Johnny M, which was pushing four barges on the Tennessee River near Grand Rivers, Ky. The six crewmembers…

24 Apr

Outdraft current at McAlpine Locks cited in tow strike, breakaway

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — A barge tow struck a vane dike on the Ohio River last year because the pilot did not effectively compensate for the outdraft current while navigating out of the McAlpine Locks in Louisville, Ky., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. The towing vessel Amber Brittany was transiting the Ohio River on March 8, 2024, pushing 15…

22 Apr

Engine failure leads to fire on passenger vessel in Maine

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Passenger vessels

(WASHINGTON) — Debris in an engine’s lube oil system led to a diesel engine failure and an engine room fire aboard a passenger vessel docked in Portland, Maine, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The passenger vessel Ocean Navigator was moored at the Ocean Gateway Terminal on Oct. 18, 2023, when the No. 2 auxiliary diesel generator engine…

16 Apr

NTSB: Land-based firefighters ill-prepared for marine incidents

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Ports

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended Tuesday that land-based firefighters be better prepared for marine vessel firefighting following a fatal fire on the roll-on/roll-off container vessel Grande Costa D’Avorio in Newark, N.J. Grande Costa D’Avorio was docked at Port Newark on July 5, 2023, when a vehicle used by shoreside workers to push used vehicles onto the…

10 Apr

NTSB cites bank effect on tanker in Cooper River pier strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — A tank vessel struck a pier at Joint Base Charleston’s Naval Weapons Station in South Carolina after a pilot allowed the vessel to get too close to a riverbank, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. The 604-foot tanker Hafnia Amessi struck Naval Weapons Station Pier B while transiting the Cooper River on Jan. 14, 2024. A…