National Transportation Safety Board has issued Marine Accident Brief Allision of Barge Gayle Force, under tow by tugboat Simone, with Norfolk Southern Bridge.
The incident:
At 0720 on April 26, 2015, the barge Gayle Force struck the unmanned Norfolk Southern Railway Bridge #7 on the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in Chesapeake, Virginia, while being towed by the tugboat Simone. The allision caused $1.8 million in damage to the bridge and stopped rail traffic for nearly 36 hours. Damage to the barge was negligible. No one was injured, and there was no pollution associated with the accident.
Findings:
Inadequate planning, preparation, or information were frequent causes of bridge allisions cited in a 2003 US Coast Guard/American Waterways Operators (AWO) Bridge Allision Work Group report, and in 2013 the AWO required member towing companies to adopt bridge transit procedures under its Responsible Carrier Program (RCP).
The Simone’s company, an AWO member, provided a Vessel Policy and Procedures Manual containing a detailed section for bridge transits. This section was subdivided into three subsections titled “Before the Transit,” “Safety Briefing,” and “During the Transit.” These subsections enumerated what the watch officer in charge of the transit must take into account for a safe bridge transit and what instructions should be provided to the crew on the towing vessel and any assist vessel. The instructions included:
- briefing the crew on their specific duties,
- discussing unique characteristics of the tow, including blind spots and the location of the crew and assist tugboat, and
- determining the tow configuration best suited to transit bridges safely “including the use of assist boats if utilized.”
The Simone captain did not plan for the bridge transit in accordance with his company’s policies and procedures. He did not have a clear view astern, so he relied on the mate to assist him in properly aligning the tow for the passage. But he gave no instruction to the mate.
The tugboat Maverick was provided to assist the tow for the bridge transits of the Elizabeth River, yet the captain of Simone did not use the assist tugboat or ask for the Maverick captain’s advice despite the latter’s extensive experience in these waters. The Maverick captain was not given any directions, and the assist tugboat was placed in a location where his view was obstructed.
Furthermore, Simone’s captain did not review Coast Pilot 3 prior to getting under way. As a result of inadequate planning, he did not take into account the current set in the vicinity of the bridge. Although the company had procedures in place regarding bridge transits, it did not have a system for verifying its crews were following those procedures. Sound company policies and guidance are only effective if they are practiced. If the captain had planned and briefed the bridge transit as required, it may have prevented the allision.
Find out more about the incident by reading the report below
Source & Image credit: NTSB
