UK MAIB issued its annual report, recording a total of 1,227 accidents to UK vessels or in UK coastal waters in 2018. This is just a few less than the previous year. These accidents involved 1,339 vessels, including casualties and incidents. The report also contains a timeline of accident occurrences through 2018.
Key figures
- The 27 of these accidents involved only non-commercial vessels, 456 were occupational accidents that did not involve any actual or potential casualty to a vessel.
- There were 744 accidents involving 798 commercial vessels that involved actual or potential casualties to vessels.
- A total of 23 investigations started, up from 21 in 2017 but still lower than 2016 when the Branch started 29 investigations.
- For the ninth successive year there were no UK merchant vessels of >100gt lost. The overall accident rate for UK merchant vessels >100gt continues to fall at 64 per 1000 vessels, down from 75 per 1000 vessels in 2017.
- There was no loss of life to crew or passengers due to accidents on board UK merchant vessels >100gt during 2018.
- Three UK registered small commercial vessels were lost in 2018.
- There were two reported deaths of crew working on foreign flag vessels while in UK ports: one fell through an open hatch cover, the other was working under an unsecured hatch cover that fell on him.
- Eight commercial fishing vessels were lost in 2018 compared with six in 2017.
- The loss rate of fishing vessels remains low at 0.14% of the fleet.
- Six fishermen lost their lives in 2018 compared with five lives lost in 2017.
Timeline of key incidents and investigations started 2018
- 18 Jan: Capsize of the UK registered fishing vessel Nancy Glen (TT100) in Lower Loch Fyne, Scotland with the loss of two lives.
- 20 Jan: Loss of containers from the UK registered container vessel ‘CMA CGM G.Washington’ in the North Pacific Ocean, while on passage from Xiamen, China to Los Angeles, USA.
- 1 Feb: A crewman from the Liberian registered general cargo vessel, SMN Explorer, died when he was crushed by a falling hatch cover while alongside at Alexandra Dock, King’s Lynn, England.
- 5 Feb: Man overboard from the UK registered fishing vessel North Star (WK 623), 16nm north of Cape Wrath, Scotland with loss of one life.
- 1 Mar: Dragging anchor by the general cargo vessel Celtic Spirit and subsequent collisions with anchored vessels Atlantic Explorer and Celtic Warrior on the River Humber, England.
- 24 Mar: Failure of a throw bag rescue line during a boat capsize rescue drill in a swimming pool at Warrington Rowing Club, Widnes, England.
- 27 Mar: Grounding of the Bahamas registered general cargo vessel Celtica Hav on a stone training wall in the approach channel to the River Neath, Wales.
- 16 Apr: Engine failure and subsequent fire causing injury to one crewman on board the Lithuanian registered ro-ro cargo vessel Finlandia Seaways while on passage 11 miles east of Lowestoft, England.
- 7 May: Capsize of the UK registered fishing vessel Laura Jane (SE80) in Plymouth Sound, England with the loss of one life.
- 18 Jul: Grounding of the Netherlands registered general cargo vessel Priscilla in the Pentland Firth, Scotland.
- 4 Aug: Collision between the UK registered container vessel ANL Wyong and the Italian registered LPG tanker King Arthur approximately 4 miles south east of Gibraltar.
- 7 Aug: Man overboard from the UK registered fishing vessel Fram of Shieldaig (BD679) off Ardheslaig, Scotland with the loss of one life.
- 14 Aug: Enclosed space accident on board the UK registered fishing vessel Sunbeam (FR487) while alongside at Fraserburgh, Scotland with the loss of one life.
- 26 Aug: Catastrophic main engine failure on board the UK registered ro-ro passenger ferry Wight Sky at the entrance to Lymington River, England.
- 29 Sep: Collision between the UK registered ro-ro passenger ferry Red Falcon and the motor cruiser Phoenix in the Thorn Channel, Southampton, England.
- 21 Oct: Collision between the UK registered ro-ro passenger ferry Red Falcon and the moored yacht Greylag in Cowes Harbour, Isle of Wight, England. The ferry subsequently ran aground and the yacht sank.
- 6 Nov: Close quarters incident between the UK registered ro-ro ferry Stena Superfast VII and a submerged Royal Navy submarine in the Irish Sea.
- 14 Dec: Machinery space fire on board the UK registered ro-ro passenger ferry Wight Sky at the entrance to Lymington River, England.
- 15 Dec: Grounding of the Cyprus registered container feeder vessel Thea II in the approaches to the Humber Estuary, England and the subsequent grounding of the UK registered tug Svitzer Josephine during the recovery operation.
- 17 Dec: Fall from height on board the Cyprus registered ro-ro freight ferry Seatruck Pace while alongside in Liverpool, England with the loss of one life.
- 18 Dec: Grounding of the Russia registered bulk carrier Kuzma Minin off Falmouth, England.
- 18 Dec: Cargo shift of freight vehicles on the Bahamas registered ro-ro passenger ferry European Causeway during heavy weather while on passage from Larne, Northern Ireland, to Cairnryan, Scotland.
MAIB also initiated on 19 February 2018 an investigation into the keel failure and capsize of the UK registered commercial yacht Tyger of London while on passage from La Gomera to Tenerife in December 2017.
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