Tugboat Captain's Error Led to Bridge Strike in Tacoma

A tugboat captain's error caused an articulated tug and barge (ATB) to strike and damage the fending system protecting the Hylebos Bridge in Tacoma, Wash., last October, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.

The tugboat Olympic Scout, operated by Olympic Tug & Barge, was assisting the ATB Montlake/Sodo, also operated by Olympic Tug & Barge, as it transited outbound on the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma, on October 12, 2023. The Montlake/Sodo’s captain requested the Hylebos Bridge operator open the bridge. While waiting for the Hylebos Bridge to open, the ATB had to pause, and the bow drifted from the center of the channel and moved farther to port (the left side of the channel). The captain steered to starboard, attempting to line up for the bridge, but due to the drag from the Olympic Scout on the port bow, he was unable to move the ATB to starboard.

The distance between the bow of the Montlake/Sodo and the bridge was 1,276 feet when it began the transit of the waterway, and the channel width between the Hylebos Bridge fenders was 150 feet. The combined breadth of the 78-foot-wide Montlake/Sodo and the 26-foot-wide Olympic Scout was 104 feet, leaving a maximum clearance of 23 feet on either side of the combined unit.

“Because of the short distance to the bridge and the speed of the ATB, there was insufficient time to correct the lineup before the Olympic Scout struck the fender,” investigators concluded. “Given the slim margin of error for making the bridge transit and the short distance to make the approach, slowing or fully stopping the ATB’s forward motion earlier would have provided the operators more time to correct the lineup and successfully transit through the opening between the bridge’s protective fendering.”

The Hylebos Bridge was undamaged following the contact, but the fender system had to be replaced at a cost of $2.43 million. A marine surveying and consulting firm stated, “the damage caused by the [Olympic Scout contact] resulted in significantly more damage being sustained as would have been, had the fendering structure been of sufficient structural strength.” The bridge fender system’s deteriorated condition contributed to the severity of damage.