Coast Guard And National Transportation Safety Board News

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board will conduct a formal public hearing this month to consider evidence related to a deadly fire that occurred aboard the Italian-flagged cargo vessel, Grande Costa D’Avorio, while docked at the Port of Newark, N.JThe hearing, slated to take place January 10-12 and 16-18 at the Union Township City Council Chambers in Union, N.J., will be open to the public, as well as broadcast live and recorded. It will focus on the condition of the Grande Costa D’Avorio prior to and at the time of the fire…

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board concluded the formal public hearing proceedings into the fire and total constructive loss of the passenger vessel Spirit of Norfolk Feb. 2, 2023.The joint investigation team reviewed and considered evidence related to the fire and total constructive loss of the passenger vessel, which occurred on June 7, 2022.The investigation team heard from 23 witnesses who provided testimony into pre-accident historical events, regulatory compliance…

The fire-stricken passenger vessel Spirit of Norfolk was towed on Sunday to Colonna's Shipyard where U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators will continue work to determine what ignited the blaze.The fire, which broke out aboard the 169-foot-long yacht style passenger vessel last Tuesday, was confirmed extinguished as of 9:58 a.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard said. Officials said early on that the fire is believed to have started in the vessel's engine room before it spread up all three decks and through the entire length of the 169-foot vessel…

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) marine casualty investigators are investigating a barge allision with the Bayou Ramos Bridge near Morgan City and Amelia, Louisiana, on Highway 182. On December 23, 2021, at approximately 3:26 a.m., a towing vessel pushing six barges was traveling southeast along the Avoca Island Cutoff waterway when one of the lead barges in the tow struck the Bayou Ramos Bridge. Coast Guard personnel at Marine Safety Unit Morgan City received notification about damage to the bridge several hours later and identified the responsible party.

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board on Friday wrapped up the formal public hearing proceedings into the sinking of the liftboat Seacor Power and the death of 13 of its 19 crewmembers in the Gulf of Mexico.The Seacor Power capsized in heavy winds and seas on April 13, 2021, about seven miles south of Port Fourchon, La. Six crewmembers were initially rescued, and six were recovered unresponsive during the course of the response.Over the course of the nearly two-week-long hearing…

The Houston Ship Channel could remain under one-way travel restrictions all week following a collision between a deep-draft ship and a barge that spilled petrochemicals into the waterway, according to an official.About 9,000 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, when a 755-foot (230-m) tanker collided with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel. One barge ruptured and the other capsized.The U.S. Coast Guard limited travel to one-way traffic because barges blocked part of the channel.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced Thursday its intent to hold a board meeting, Dec. 11, 2018, to determine the probable cause of the Jan. 14, 2018, fire aboard the passenger vessel Island Lady, in the waters of the Pithlachascotee River near Port Richey, Florida.One passenger died and 14 others were transported to area hospitals in the accident that left the vessel so damaged it was declared a constructive total loss.The Island Lady had 53 people aboard when at about 4 p.m. the captain received a high-temperature alarm for the port engine’s jacket-water system.

Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators have closed a formal hearing in Galveston, that was held to gather facts that led to a March 22, 2014 collision and subsequent 168,000 gallon oil spill near the Texas City Dike. The purpose of the Coast Guard marine casualty investigation and formal board hearing is to examine the causes of a marine casualty, make recommendations to help avoid a similar incident, improve overall maritime transportation safety, and promote safety of life and property at sea. Investigators heard from the captains of both the tug Miss Susan and the bulk carrier Summer Wind,  the two vessels that collided…

The U.S. Coast Guard & the National Transportation Safety Board begin investigation into the circumstances of the fire. According to information given to  Reuters by the Coast Guard the fire on board the Carnival Corp cruise ship that drifted for days in the Gulf of Mexico awash in raw sewage started from fuel from a leaking diesel engine fuel line that ignited. The Coast Guard explains that because the Carnival Triumph is a Bahamian flagged vessel, the Bahamas Maritime Authority is the primary investigative agency. In accordance with international guidelines, the U.S. will participate in this investigation as a Marine Safety Investigative State.

The Coast Guard escorted the disabled Carnival Triumph to the Alabama Cruise Ship Terminal in Mobile Thursday evening. The tug vessel Roland Falgout and four assist tugs towed the Triumph to the Alabama Cruise Terminal following more than a 100-hour voyage from Cozumel, Mexico to Mobile. Resources used to assist the Triumph: The 210-foot Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous and crew, homeported in Cape May, N.J.; Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile MH-60T crew; The 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Stingray crew; Three Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island 45-foot Response Boat — Medium crews; One Coast Guard Station Pascagoula boatcrew; Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team. The Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous arrived on scene Sunday night and safely medevaced one passenger to the Carnival Legend.

Washington, D.C. —The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced that it has appointed a panel of maritime and safety experts to provide an impartial assessment of the recommendations developed by the Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review, launched in January, 2012. This Panel of Experts will evaluate suggested policy improvements as part of continuous efforts to review and improve safety measures by developing comprehensive best practices for industry-wide implementation and. ultimately, formal submission to the International Maritime Organization, as appropriate. “Our number one priority is the safety of passengers and crew,” said Christine Duffy, President and CEO of CLIA.

Crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau, a 378-foot high endurance cutter homeported in Alameda, Calif., continue to ensure the safety and well-being of the passengers and crew aboard the stranded Carnival Cruise Ship Splendor, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010. The cruise ship became disabled after a fire in the engine room, Monday, Nov. 8, 2010. Crews from the Coast Guard cutter have boarded the Splendor, including a health service technician and food service technician, and have found the passengers and crews safe and healthy.

After a four-day trial, a federal judge ruled on Dec. 18 in favor of the family of Freddie Porter, Jr., a 19-year-old U.S. Navy enlisted seaman from New Jersey who in 2007 was killed when the small craft carrying him was overrun by a tugboat pushing a large flotilla on Virginia's James River. The tug, owned and operated by Vulcan Materials Company, collided with the Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) carrying Porter as he engaged in nighttime military training exercises. The court found the United States Navy 80 percent responsible for Porter's death and Vulcan 20 percent responsible, awarding Porter's family $1,250,000. Attorneys for the victim's family believe the judge's ruling against Vulcan and the Navy will have widespread implications for the nation's tugboat operations in U.S.

Congressman Elijah E. “This morning we witnessed another example of the pressing need to expand the size of the U.S. Coast Guard. We cannot expect any organization to operate at full capacity when it does not have the staff or resources necessary to do so. Operating at full capacity is especially important when dealing with critical issues such as the safety of our mariners, marine life, and property at sea. For this reason, the Coast Guard must perform a workload analysis to determine how many people it needs to properly fulfill its marine casualty investigation duties. “Additionally, I fully support Chairman Oberstar’s suggestion that the Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board reach a resolution regarding primacy when it comes to marine casualty investigations.