Tag: collision

The Unified Command, including the US Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office, Port of Houston Fire Department and Kirby Inland Marine, have successfully removed two barges involved in a collision from the Houston Ship Channel, on May 15. The Captain of the Port of Houston-Galveston has opened the Houston Ship Channel without restrictions and vessel traffic has returned to normal operations.

Japan Transport Safety Board informed that it launched 922 investigations in 2017. The majority of these cases included collisions, while 1,199 vessels were involved in the accidents, most of which were fishing vessels and pleasure boats. Of the 922 investigations launched in 2017, 216 were cases of collision, 182 cases of grounding; 138 cases of fatality/injury; and 104 cases of contact.

The German Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation published its report on the offshore supply vessels Vos Stone, which hit a wind turbine under construction. Both the ship and the turbine were damaged, while three people sustained minor injuries. BSU said that the master took an unnecessary risk in testing the ship's emergency control system.

Britannia P&I Club focuses on a recent Court decision concerning two related collisions involving three vessels. The three ships were anchored at the Western Petroleum B Anchorage off Singapore. Because of rough winds, all three vessels collided before their anchors regained holding of the situation.

The Houston Ship Channel could remain under one-way travel restrictions for all this week after a collision took place between a deep-draft ship and a barge. Because of the collision, petrochemicals were spilled into the waterway. The damaged barges are located in a heavily trafficked area of the channel, affecting everyone.

A tanker collided with a tug pushing two barges on May 10, leading to the closure of the Houston Ship Channel. According to the US Coast Guard an unknown amount of product has been spilled from the barges, with sources reporting that the amount is about 9,000 barrels. USCG added that there were no injuries.

NTSB issued a report on the collision of the bulk carrier 'Yochow' with the articulated tug and barge 'OSG Independence' in the Houston Ship Channel, in June 2018. The report highlights poor bridge resource management as key cause of the accident and fatigue as a significant contributing factor. 

A towboat hit St. Louis' Eads Bridge on May 3, possibly because of increasing flood waters. According to USCG officials, the tugboat was damaged to its pilot house but there were no injuries. The bridge was not harmed neither. After the accident, USCG closed a part of the Mississippi to all ship traffic from mile marker 179 to 184,

A cruise ship that came into Canada Place in Vancouver Harbour on May 4th collided with another cruise ship. As Holland America stated, which owns both ships, they rubbed against each other while docking stern to stern. Despite the collision, no one was injured and passengers left the ship as planned.

In its latest safety digest, the UK MAIB describes a case of an offshore supply vessel collision with two smaller vessels, which sank as a result. MAIB stressed the master had checked the thrusters were working by observing pitch movement, but investigation indicated that the thrusters’ electric motors were probably not started.