Tag: Steering failure

As part of its 64th edition of CHIRP maritime feedback, it is described a case of steering gear malfunction onboard containership.

The sinking of the Amoco Cadiz in 1978 came to claim again the title of the world’s worst oil spill, putting another dark spot in the environmental record of shipping.

Insufficient training, inadequate bridge operating procedures and a lack of operational oversight were the key causes of the fatal collision between the USS John S McCain and the tanker Alnic MC in August 2017, the official report by the US National Transportation Safety Board revealed. 

The US NTSB issued an investigation report on the contact of the towing vessel 'Steve Richoux' with a pier on the Mississippi River, caused by a steering system failure. There were no pollution or injuries, but estimated property damage exceeded $3 million.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) issued an investigation report on the steering gear failure and grounding of the product/chemical tanker 'Chem Norma', off Morrisburg, Ontario, in 29 May 2018.

In its latest Safety Digest, UK MAIB describes a case of a dredger grounding resulted from loss of steering control. MAIB noted that the loss of steering occurred during the transfer of control between the consoles.

It is believed that steering systems don’t show any fundamental complexity and don’t easily fail, thus they are not properly maintained. However, in case of a steering gear failure, severe problems are about to follow.

A passenger/Ro-Ro cargo ferry, carrying 99 passengers and 53 crew, grounded on a charted shallow area while arriving in port at low tide. It was morning twilight and weather was good. The vessel remained aground for over an hour and refloated on a rising tide. UK MAIB analyzed the incident providing useful lessons learned.

A tanker which was carrying refined petroleum products ran aground in the St. Lawrence River near Morrisburg, Ontario, on May 29. The Marshall Islands-flagged Chem Norma was sailing upstream from Montreal to Sarnia. The ship ran aground because of a steering issue. No pollution was reported.

The cause of the crash of 'Swiss Crystal' cruise ship into a motorway bridge on Rhine river, on the evening of 26 December, was attributed to the pilot's steering error. The conclusion was announced by Swiss shipping company 'Scylla', noting that the incident would be further investigated to prevent similar cases in the future.