NTSB – Page 7 – Professional Mariner

06 Dec

Wind led houseboat to hit fuel pump, causing marina fire

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB

(WASHINGTON) — On Aug. 10, 2023, about 1705 local time, the rental houseboat Flagship 604 (state number TN 0174 BD 219), with nine people aboard, was docking at the Sunset Marina on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tenn., to refuel when the bow struck one of the marina’s gasoline fuel pumps, knocking it over. Minutes later, a fire began near…

22 Nov

Parted wire forces crew to release barges, causing dock strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On January 29, about 1230 local time, the towing vessel Nell Womack was pushing hopper barges ACL23401 and ACBL2549 upbound on the Lower Mississippi River when one of two facing wires connecting the towing vessel to barge ACL23401 parted. When it became unsafe for the towing vessel to remain attached by one facing wire, the crew released the…

21 Nov

NTSB: Mate misjudged approach to unlit pier before allision

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On July 8, 2023, at 2326, the towing vessel Danny Terral was pushing six loaded barges on the Calcasieu River in Louisiana when the starboard lead barge contacted a pier while docking at the Port of Lake Charles. Damage to the pier was estimated to be about $1 million. The tow remained intact, and there was no reported…

08 Oct

Deck hand asleep at helm led to Columbia River dock strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — A deck hand at the helm of a towing vessel had fallen asleep before the tow struck a dock near Clatskanie, Ore., last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The deck hand of the towing vessel Cindy B was experiencing the effects of fatigue while at the helm on Nov. 12, 2023. The towing vessel…

24 Sep

Assist tug destroys fender after ATB lined up incorrectly

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The deteriorated fender system protecting the Hylebos Bridge in Tacoma, Wash., was damaged beyond repair last October after being struck by a tugboat assisting an articulated tug-barge (ATB). The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday that the captain of the ATB did not line up the vessel correctly to safely transit under the bridge. The tugboat Olympic…

19 Sep

NTSB cites excess tension on lines in bulker breakaway

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB

(WASHINGTON) — While loading a cargo of coal on March 27, 2023, the bulk carrier Sirocco broke free from its moorings at the Convent Marine Terminal dock in Convent, La., drifted a half mile down the Mississippi River and struck a barge moored at the Mosaic Uncle Sam dock, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. An examination of…

06 Sep

NTSB to Coast Guard: Finish work on passenger vessel SMS

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newscasualties, NTSB, U.S. Coast Guard

(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) — On the fifth anniversary of the 2019 Conception dive boat fire that killed 34 people, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy held a media availability with the families of the victims and again called on the U.S. Coast Guard to require safety management systems (SMS) for all U.S.-flagged passenger vessels. “For five years, I’ve…

29 Aug

Hull wastage, lack of upkeep cited in flooding of towboat

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators found holes in the hull of a towing vessel after it flooded and partially sank last year on the Lower Mississippi River near Ascension Paris, La. Uncle Blue was towing one empty barge on March 26, 2023, when the towboat began flooding. When it was lifted by crane during salvage, NTSB investigators…

21 Aug

NTSB: Pilot of towboat that hit Louisiana pier was asleep

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB

(WASHINGTON) — The pilot of a towing vessel that hit a pier near St. Rose, La., last year had fallen asleep, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. The pilot of the towing vessel John 3:16 was experiencing the effects of fatigue during his watch on Sept. 12 while navigating the Lower Mississippi River. NTSB investigators concluded the pilot…

13 Aug

NTSB finds plate wastage on tugboat that sank in Atlantic

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) —The sinking last year of a towing vessel in the Atlantic Ocean was due to a lack of watertight integrity, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The tugboat Jacqueline A was transiting the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia to a Louisiana shipyard, where the vessel was to be brought into compliance with regulations. It began taking on water…