Classification
- Incident Type: Collision
- Severity: High
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Carolyn |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Official Number | |
| Flag State | |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | |
| Breadth (m) | |
| Bollard Pull (t) | |
| Power (kW) | |
| Owner/Operator | |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | |
| Crew Size | 5 |
Weeks No. 254
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Weeks No. 254 |
| Vessel Type | Hinged single-hold dump barge |
| LOA (m) | 71.3 |
| Breadth (m) | 16.2 |
| Freeboard (m) | 6.1 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 1972-09-21 |
| Location | Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 38.9916, -76.3752 |
| Region | United States |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel structure was heavily damaged and the crossing was closed to vehicular traffic for 14 days. |
| Economic Damage | More than USD 2 million, as reported in a 1974 United States Coast Guard summary. |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost | |
Key facts
- Carolyn lost propulsion in severe weather while towing the hinged dump barge Weeks No. 254 in Chesapeake Bay.
- The Coast Guard cutter Madrona and tug Warrengas stood by while the tow drifted toward the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
- After the crew evacuated and tow attempts failed, the tow struck the bridge at about 01:40 on 1972-09-21 and made repeated impacts.
- The bridge was heavily damaged and closed to vehicular traffic for 14 days; a 1974 Coast Guard summary put the damage above USD 2 million.
- The NTSB identified failure to communicate the barge's quick-release anchor and failure to take Carolyn in tow as probable causes.
Narrative
The joint NTSB and United States Coast Guard account describes Carolyn towing the unmanned hinged dump barge Weeks No. 254 in Chesapeake Bay during severe weather. The tow turned south toward shelter. The hawser washed overboard and fouled the tug's propellers, leaving Carolyn without propulsion. The Coast Guard cutter Madrona and tug Warrengas stood by as the disabled tow drifted toward the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The crew evacuated Carolyn before about 01:40 on 1972-09-21. Attempts to control or tow the disabled tug did not succeed. Carolyn and the barge then struck the bridge trestle, with the barge making repeated impacts over the following hours. The towline eventually parted, Carolyn grounded at Chesapeake Beach, and the barge was no longer held clear of the structure. The bridge was heavily damaged and the crossing closed to vehicular traffic for 14 days. A 1974 Coast Guard summary reported damage exceeding USD 2 million.
The NTSB's probable-cause findings, reproduced in the Coast Guard's later discussion of the casualty, were that Carolyn's captain did not communicate that Weeks No. 254 had a quick-release anchor and that Madrona's commanding officer did not take Carolyn in tow as a last resort. The later Coast Guard account also reports fatigue and inadequate contingency planning as contributing circumstances. The official summaries state that there were no deaths or injuries. They do not establish an IMO number, gross tonnage, flag state, or accident-era particulars for Carolyn.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 1972-09-20 | Severe weather led the tow to turn south toward shelter. |
| 1972-09-20 | The hawser washed overboard and fouled Carolyn's propellers, causing a total loss of propulsion. |
| 1972-09-21 01:40 | After evacuation and unsuccessful tow attempts, Carolyn and Weeks No. 254 struck the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel trestle. |
| 1972-09-21 | Repeated impacts followed; the towline parted and Carolyn grounded at Chesapeake Beach. |
| 1972-09-21 | The bridge crossing was closed to vehicular traffic for 14 days. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Failure to communicate the quick-release anchor | Confirmed finding | The NTSB identified the captain's failure to tell assisting vessels that Weeks No. 254 had a quick-release anchor as a probable cause. |
| Failure to take Carolyn in tow | Confirmed finding | The NTSB identified the Madrona commanding officer's failure to take Carolyn in tow as a last resort as a probable cause. |
| Fatigue and inadequate contingency planning | Reported | A later Coast Guard account reports fatigue and inadequate contingency planning as contributing circumstances. |
Investigation
The joint NTSB and United States Coast Guard marine casualty report, USCG/NTSB-MAR-74-2, is catalogued by the Transportation Research Board. Its probable-cause findings are summarized in United States Coast Guard Proceedings articles, which also describe the sequence, casualties, bridge closure, and damage. The full report was not located on a public official-hosted page during this review.
References
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