Classification
- Incident Type: Cargo Loss
- Severity: High
- Report classification: Very serious marine casualty
- Primary investigation: Collaborative investigation led by PMA, with BSU and DSB participation
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | MSC ZOE |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | Panama [PA] |
| IMO Number | 9703318 |
| Call Sign | 3FQA |
| Gross Tonnage | 192237 |
| LOA (m) | 395.40 |
| Breadth (m) | 59.00 |
| TEU | 19224 |
| Year Built | 2015 |
| Crew Size | 22 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2019-01-01 |
| Location | TSS Terschelling - German Bight, North Sea |
| Region | North Sea |
| Coordinates | 53.8865, 8.4543 |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | 342 containers |
| Investigation Body | Panama Maritime Authority (PMA), German Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU), and Dutch Safety Board (DSB) |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage |
Key facts
- MSC ZOE departed Sines, Portugal, for Bremerhaven, Germany, on 30 December 2018 with 8,062 containers aboard, equivalent to 13,465 TEU at about 70% capacity.
- The final number of containers lost overboard was established as 342 after the vessel unloaded in Gdansk.
- The vessel encountered north-northwesterly winds and beam seas. The report describes significant wave heights increasing from 5 m to 6.5 m, with individual waves of about 11 m possible.
- The report identified high stability in shallow water and four relevant hydrodynamic phenomena: extreme motions and accelerations, contact or near contact with the seabed, green water, and slamming.
- Cargo and container residues severely polluted the Dutch and German Wadden Sea region. No lubricants or bunker fuel escaped from MSC ZOE, and no crew members were injured.
Narrative
MSC ZOE sailed from Sines to Bremerhaven and entered the TSS Terschelling - German Bight on 1 January 2019. The report states that wind and sea conditions increased during the day. By 14:30 local time, the wind had reached northwesterly force 8 Bft and the sea was at force 6. From the afternoon onward the vessel rolled continuously, and severe rolling was recorded at about 23:00.
At about 01:00 on 2 January, the master noticed collapsed containers in bays behind the bridge. At about 01:30, the crew witnessed containers in bay 26 collapse. At 01:34, the master ordered a course alteration from 074 degrees to 315 degrees to bring the bow toward the wind and reduce the rolling, and German Bight Traffic was notified. The vessel later reduced speed, resumed its voyage toward Bremerhaven at 14:00, and took a pilot at 19:15. It moored safely at Bremerhaven at 01:00 on 3 January.
The definitive loss count was established after unloading in Gdansk. The vessel sustained damage to container bays, lashing bridges, handrails, fire valves, ventilation fittings, and hatches, while the hull had minor dents above the waterline. The report found that the ship's corrected GM was 9.01 m. In beam seas and shallow water, the resulting motions and accelerations approached design limits and led to failure of container structures and/or lashing equipment. The investigation identified four hydrodynamic phenomena that acted individually or in combination, but it could not determine which combination caused each of the six loss events. Contact with the seabed could not be ruled out, although a diver survey found no detectable grounding damage. Loading-status imperfections may also have increased vulnerability in some bays, but no structural deviation from international lashing requirements was observed.
The report determined that the maximum roll angle was in the order of 16 degrees. The approximately 30-degree deflection shown by the mechanical inclinometer was not a reliable measure of the vessel's dynamic roll angle because the instrument was sensitive to accelerations.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2018-12-30 03:30 LT | MSC ZOE departed Sines, Portugal, bound for Bremerhaven. |
| 2019-01-01 14:30 LT | The bridge log recorded northwesterly force 8 Bft and sea state 6; the vessel continued to roll in the worsening conditions. |
| 2019-01-01 23:00 LT | A period of severe rolling was recorded. |
| 2019-01-02 01:00 LT | The master noticed collapsed containers in bays behind the bridge. |
| 2019-01-02 01:30 LT | The crew witnessed containers in bay 26 collapse. |
| 2019-01-02 01:34 LT | The master ordered a course change from 074 to 315 degrees and notified German Bight Traffic of the loss. |
| 2019-01-02 14:00 LT | The vessel reached the TSS German Bight Western Approach and resumed its course to Bremerhaven. |
| 2019-01-03 01:00 LT | MSC ZOE moored at Bremerhaven. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| High stability in beam seas and shallow water | Report conclusion | The corrected GM of 9.01 m increased the ship's roll response and the resulting transverse accelerations. |
| Hydrodynamic loading | Report conclusion | Extreme motions and accelerations, possible seabed contact, green water, and slamming acted individually or in combination. |
| Container and lashing loads | Report conclusion | The resulting forces approached design limits and led to failure of container structures and/or lashing equipment. |
| Loading-status imperfections | Possible contribution | Loading-computer warnings and imperfections in loading status may have made some bays or stacks more vulnerable, but the warnings did not predict the loss pattern. |
| Limited detection of initial losses | Confirmed finding | The first container losses were not noticed by the crew, reducing the opportunity for mitigating action before later losses. |
Investigation
The Panama Maritime Authority led the safety investigation, with the German Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation and the Dutch Safety Board participating. The report classified the event as a very serious marine casualty because the lost cargo and residues severely polluted the Wadden Sea region. It concluded that high stability in a beam-sea, shallow-water condition was the main cause, with four hydrodynamic phenomena contributing to the loss mechanism. It did not assign a single phenomenon to each loss event. The report also recorded that the crew had no bridge indication of the actual roll angles, forces, and accelerations acting on the ship and its cargo.