2008 Columbia riverboat fire blamed on hydraulic leak in new NTSB report

The National Transportation Safety Board has ruled that a 2008 fire on a Columbia River passenger vessel was caused by a hydraulic leak.

That is the conclusion of a recently released NTSB report on the fire, which occurred on the Queen of the West in Oregon on April 8, 2008. 177 passengers and crew were aboard the vessel when the blaze broke out in the engine room. According to the report, the likely culprit was the failure of a hydraulic hose for the portside engine. Leaking fluid sprayed onto the 800 degree exhaust piping, igniting the mixture of air and fuel.

The report credited the then operator, Ambassador International Inc’s Majestic America Line, for installing a C02 system and fire alarms which limited damage and allowed all aboard to depart the 221 foot vessel without injury. Majestic America has since gone out of business.

The vessel, however, did not completely escape criticism in the report. The NTSB was startled to discover that the only rescue boat available was a six person inflatable dinghy. According to Coast Guard requirements, however, there is no requirement for that vessel class to be equipped with survival craft of any kind.

The NTSB’s report recommends that all small passenger vessels on every route should have sufficient survival craft for all aboard.

Source: Professional Mariner