Cosco Busan (2007) | Novatug Maritime Wiki

Classification

Incident Type: Allision
Severity: High
Tug involvement: Yes
Tug mechanism: The assist tug Revolution helped Cosco Busan leave berth 56 and trailed astern during the outbound transit.

Vessel Details

Field	Value
Vessel Name	Cosco Busan
Vessel Type	Container
Flag State	Hong Kong [HK]
IMO Number
Gross Tonnage
LOA (m)	274.6
Breadth (m)	40.0
TEU	5500
Year Built	2001
Owner/Operator	Fleet Management Ltd. provided the crew and technical management
Crew Size

Incident Details

Field	Value
Date	2007-11-07
Location	Delta tower of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, San Francisco, California
Coordinates	37.7879, -122.4075
Region	United States
Fatalities	0
Injuries	0
Missing
Cargo Loss
Direct Damage	USD 3.6 million physical damage: USD 2.1 million to the ship and USD 1.5 million to the bridge fendering.
Economic Damage	More than USD 70 million environmental cleanup, in addition to physical damage.

Key facts

At about 08:30 Pacific standard time, outbound Cosco Busan struck the fendering system at the base of the Delta tower.
The impact created a 212-foot-long by 10-foot-high by 8-foot-deep gash and breached three port-side tanks.
About 53,500 gallons of fuel oil entered San Francisco Bay, contaminating about 26 miles of shoreline and killing more than 2,500 birds.
No injuries or fatalities resulted, but a bay fishery was temporarily closed and the crab-fishing season was delayed.
The NTSB estimated USD 2.1 million in ship damage, USD 1.5 million in bridge damage, and more than USD 70 million in environmental cleanup.

Narrative

Cosco Busan was scheduled to depart berth 56 in the Port of Oakland for Busan, South Korea, carrying 2,529 containers. Dense fog restricted visibility when a San Francisco Bar Pilots Association pilot boarded at about 06:20 on 7 November 2007. The pilot and master exchanged pilot cards, but the NTSB found that they did not conduct a comprehensive master-pilot exchange about the planned passage, weather, unberthing, or use of the assist tug Revolution.

At about 08:00, the vessel moved away from berth 56 with Revolution assisting on the port quarter. The pilot intended to keep the tug trailing behind the vessel through the Bar Channel. Cosco Busan proceeded outbound in restricted visibility. Vessel Traffic Service questioned the pilot at about 08:27 after observing that the vessel was not on the intended track. The pilot confirmed that he still intended to use the Delta-Echo span.

At about 08:30, Cosco Busan’s forward port side struck the corner of the Delta tower fendering. The impact opened a gash approximately 212 feet long, 10 feet high, and 8 feet deep and breached the Nos. 3 and 4 port fuel tanks and the No. 2 port ballast tank. About 53,500 gallons of fuel oil entered San Francisco Bay. The vessel proceeded to an anchorage, where the crew reported the leak and response organizations began spill recovery.

The spill contaminated about 26 miles of shoreline, killed more than 2,500 birds of about 50 species, temporarily closed a bay fishery, and delayed the crab-fishing season. Cosco Busan remained in the area for about 30 days for temporary repairs before proceeding to China for permanent repairs. The NTSB reported no injuries or fatalities.

Sequence of events

Date/time	Event
2007-11-07 06:20 local	The San Francisco Bar pilot boarded Cosco Busan in dense fog.
2007-11-07 08:00 local	Cosco Busan moved away from berth 56 with assist tug Revolution.
2007-11-07 08:27 local	Vessel Traffic Service questioned the pilot after observing the vessel out of position for the intended bridge span.
2007-11-07 08:30 local	Cosco Busan allided with the Delta tower fendering and breached three port-side tanks.
2007-11-07 about 08:55 local	The pilot reported that a fuel tank appeared ruptured and an oil slick was forming.
2007-11-07 about 09:00 local	Revolution was released after Cosco Busan reached the anchorage.

Contributing factors

Factor	Evidence status	Description
Restricted-visibility navigation	Confirmed finding	The NTSB found that the vessel was not safely navigated in dense fog.
Pilot cognitive performance	Confirmed finding	The pilot’s use of impairing prescription medications degraded his cognitive performance.
Master-pilot exchange and communication	Confirmed finding	There was no comprehensive pre-departure exchange and communication during the voyage was ineffective.
Master oversight	Confirmed finding	The master did not effectively oversee the pilot’s performance or the vessel’s progress.
Crew training and medical oversight	Confirmed finding	Fleet Management’s inadequate crew training and the U.S. Coast Guard’s inadequate medical oversight of the pilot contributed to the casualty.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the casualty in Marine Accident Report NTSB/MAR-09/01. It determined that the probable cause was failure to safely navigate in restricted visibility because of the pilot’s degraded cognitive performance, the absence of a comprehensive master-pilot exchange and effective communication, and ineffective master oversight. The NTSB also identified inadequate crew training and inadequate Coast Guard medical oversight of the pilot as contributing factors. It found that wind, current, propulsion and steering systems, navigation systems, lookout, and Vessel Traffic Service equipment and capability were not causal or contributory.

References

NTSB Marine Accident Report: Allision of M/V Cosco Busan with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge