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NTSB issues findings on last month’s Houston Ship Channel collision

Posted on Nov 17, 2011

A chemical tanker’s attempt to miss a collision with a fuel barge and towboat caused it to strike a container ship in the Houston Ship Channel last month, says the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report of the incident.

The NTSB report states that at 9:06 a.m. on Oct. 29, the outbound 799-foot Greek chemical tanker Elka Apollon collided with the inbound 777-foot Panamanian container ship MSC Nederland at Five Mile, near the intersection of the Bayport Ship Channel.

Before the collision, pilots on both vessels agreed to pass port-to-port. But when towboat Mr. Earl and its fuel barge departed the Bayport channel on Elka Apollon’s starboard side, the Elka’s pilot issued port rudder commands to avoid a collision. This pushed the ship toward the left side of the channel. Countering with hard to starboard rudder commands to avoid the oncoming MSC Nederland, the Nederland’s pilot ordered hard to port and emergency full ahead to try and swing away from the tanker. Despite these actions, both vessels collided.

The Elka Apollon’s port bow suffered damage and three containers fell onto its forward deck from the MSC Nederland. The Nederland suffered hull damage on the port side main deck level. Its rescue boat was knocked loose and set adrift.

The NTSB and Coast Guard launched an investigation. Voyage data recorders from both vessels were reviewed along with recorded data from VTS. Crew members on both ships and the towboat were interviewed. Drug and alcohol testing were administered onto crew members from both ships in the collision.

No injuries or pollution were reported.

Source: Marine Log.com

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