Contact made by dry cargo vessel Alexander Tvardovskiy with dredger UKD Bluefin, pushing dredger into general cargo vessel Wilson Hawk
Location: Immingham, England.
Accident Investigation Report 10/2013
Read our marine accident investigation report, which includes what happened, actions taken and subsequent recommendations:
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Summary
On 1 August 2012, dry cargo vessel Alexander Tvardovskiy, dredger UKD Bluefin and general cargo vessel Wilson Hawk collided in Immingham, England.
Safety Issues
- the automatic machinery control system had been defective for about 2 months, but this had not been reported to the ship’s manager or classification society
- the arrangement for manual control of the vessel’s propulsion was suitable only for use in an emergency, there being insufficient provision of controls and instrumentation for effective control of the vessel during routine pilotage and berthing
- neither the bridge team nor the engineers in the engine room monitored the direction of rotation of the propeller shaft
- because the vessel had been built before 1998, she was exempted from a SOLAS regulation that required the fitting of propeller directional and speed indicators in the engine room
- the pilot was not informed that the vessel’s engines were being operated in manual control
Recommendations
A recommendation (2013/109) has been made to Germanischer Lloyd aimed at ensuring that vessels have a propeller shaft indicator fitted in the engine room, regardless of their age.
Recommendations (2013/210 and 2013/211 respectively) to the UK Major Ports Group Limited and the International Chamber of Shipping are intended to improve the exchange of information between masters and pilots.
A recommendation (2013/212) has also been made to the ship’s manager, JS North-Western Shipping Company, aimed at improving the safety management on board its vessels.
This report was published on 31 May 2013.