The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an investigation report on the grounding of the Marshall Islands-registered bulk carrier ‘Nenita’ on the Columbia River, in November 2016, as a result of an engine failure combined with inefficient communication onboard.
The incident
On November 19, 2016, the fully-laden bulk carrier ‘Nenita’ was outbound on the Columbia River, when it suffered an engine failure impacting its ability to maneuver. The vessel subsequently ran aground at Three Tree Point on the Washington State side of the river, damaging its bulbous bow and hull. After the grounding, the Nenita was towed to Longview, Washington, for temporary repairs. Two weeks later, the vessel resumed the voyage to its original destination. There were no injuries or reported pollution as a result of the accident.
Probable cause
The NTSB determines that the probable cause of the grounding of the bulk carrier Nenita was the failure of a main engine cylinder cooling jacket that initiated an automatic reduction in engine speed, resulting in the eventual loss of steerageway. Contributing to the accident was the lack of information relayed from shipboard personnel to the pilot about the status of the main engine, which prevented him from taking effective corrective action following the engine casualty.
Recommendations As a result from the incident investigation, NTSB highlighted the following points for consideration: Further details on the accident may be found herebelow:
