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Maritime Accident News

NTSB cites sleep apnea and poor bridge management in Port Arthur collision

Posted on Sep 28, 2011

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its findings into the cause of the Eagle Otome collision, which spilled 462,000 gallons of fuel into the Sabine-Netches Waterway.

The primary cause listed by the report was the ship's first pilot's failure to correct for sheering after starting a turn late in a slight bend in the channel.

Contributing factors cited included that pilot's fatigue due to untreated sleep apnea and work schedule, his distraction from making a radio call (which was the second pilot's responsibility) at a crucial point in the river, poor bridge resource management by both pilots and insufficient oversight by the Jefferson and Orange County Board of Pilot Commissioners.

The NTSB issued 10 safety recommendations to the Coast Guard, three pilots' associations and governors of states where pilots work. One of those recommendations tells governors to order pilot oversight boards to implement fatigue prevention and mitigation programs

The 807-foot Malaysian-flagged tanker collided with cargo vessel Gulf Arrow and then with the tow Dixie Vengeance at a bend in the channel on Jan. 23. 2010.

A synopsis of the report can be found on the NTSB site here.

Learn your rights as a seaman by ordering free copy of The Insider's Guide to Winning Your Maritime Injury Case written by Jones Act and maritime accident injury lawyer Brian Beckcom.

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