Texas City Y Collision: Formal Casualty Hearing Notified

The US Coast Guard informs that in conjunction with the National Transportation Safety Board, it will begin a formal hearing at the Galveston County Criminal Justice Center Monday, June 2, 2014 at 1 p.m. concerning the collision between the bulk carrier 'Summer Wind', the tugboat 'Miss Susan' and its towed barge

Background
On March 22, 2014, the Summer Wind was en route to the Port of Houston when it collided with a barge owned by Kirby Inland Marine, which was being towed by the tugboat Miss Susan and was headed from the Port of Texas City to the Intracoastal Waterway along the Bolivar Peninsula.
The vessels collided near the tip of the Texas City Dike, in an area known as the Texas City Y, resulting in the spillage from the barge of 168,000 gallons of fuel oil into the water.

The Hearing
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.

The investigation and formal board are not intended to fix civil or criminal responsibility.

The final report of investigation will be made available to the public once reviewed and approved.

No analysis or conclusions will be presented during the hearing.

The NTSB is assisting in the investigation in accordance with the Coast Guard/NTSB Memorandum of Understanding. The Coast Guard’s Investigations National Center of Expertise is also providing investigative assistance.

The Coast Guard says it will accept public comments regarding this investigation. All comments should be sent to [email protected] using "FORMAL HEARING COMMENT" as the subject, for consideration by the Lead Investigating Officer.