The Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau (ESIB) issued an investigation report on the blackout and losing control of the Ro-Ro ship ‘Regal Star’, in Swedish waters, near the Remmargrund lighthouse, on 30 October 2018. The investigation identified seawater ingress in the diesel fuel pipe system as key cause of the accident.
The incident
On 30 October 2018, Regal Star departed from Kapellskär harbor, Sweden, at 10:20 am. At 11:04 am, after the shutdown of all auxiliary machinery, a blackout occurred and the main engines stopped. As a result, the ship lost propulsion and, due to severe weather conditions, was left adrift in the Baltic Sea. Heavy weather also caused the ship to drift into the lighthouse.
The ship was en route from Sweden’s Port of Kapellskär to Estonia’s Port of Paldiski, at that time. It did not sustain serious damage as a result of its collision
Probable causes
- Seawater in the diesel fuel pipe system, resulting in a power failure (blackout): As a result, the main engines stopped and the ship lost control. As such, the seabed’s specificity and depth did not allow the vessel to be stopped using one anchor and the ship drifted to the lighthouse.
- Use of substandard pipe fittings and inappropriate construction solutions for fuel tank vent pipe: Seawater went into the fuel through a vent pipe, which passed a ballast tank. Pipe fittings were thin-walled and corrosive and there were holes permitting the water ingress into the tube.
- Inadequate procedures were the contributing factors for water entering the auxiliary machinery and a separator system that allowed poor quality pump fuel through it.
Actions taken
According to ESIB, safety measures taken by the company so far include:
- The machinery preparation procedure was supplemented with the requirement to drain the water diesel fuel tanks before leaving the ship.
- An alarm system was ordered to be installed on the separators to inform the separator quality of the fuel available.
- The damaged part of the ventilation pipe was replaced.
- Check of the condition of the ventilation duct of the left-wing fuel tank MDO-1
