Classification
- Incident Type: Sinking
- Severity: High
- Primary Source: NTSB Marine Accident Report NTSB/MAR-84/04
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | TECO 2 |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | |
| Breadth (m) | |
| Bollard Pull (t) | |
| Power (kW) | |
| Owner/Operator | |
| Year Built | |
| Crew Size | |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 1983-10-12 |
| Location | Pensacola Bay, Pensacola, Florida |
| Coordinates | 30.4213, -87.2169 |
| Region | United States |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 2 |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | USD 750,000 combined tug damage and salvage costs |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost | Included in the combined estimate above |
Key facts
- USS William V. Pratt was inbound in Pensacola Bay for fueling at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola.
- While the destroyer backed and turned to port, towline tension heeled TECO 2 to starboard and water entered through open main-deck doors.
- TECO 2 sank; two people aboard were seriously injured and no loss of life was reported.
- The NTSB attributed the accident primarily to failures involving the quarter line and the tug's exterior main-deck doors.
- The NTSB recorded combined tug damage and salvage costs of approximately USD 750,000.
Narrative
On the morning of 12 October 1983, the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS William V. Pratt was inbound in Pensacola Bay for fueling at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola. Two tugs assisted the destroyer during the docking maneuver. As the Pratt backed and turned to port, tension in a towline heeled TECO 2 sharply to starboard. Water entered the tug through open exterior main-deck doors, and TECO 2 sank.
The NTSB report record states that two people aboard TECO 2 were seriously injured and that there was no loss of life. It also states that the combined damage to the tug and salvage costs were estimated at $750,000. The available web record does not identify the tug's registry particulars, the exact position or time of the sinking, or whether the vessel was later recovered or declared a total loss.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 1983-10-12 | USS William V. Pratt entered Pensacola Bay for fueling at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola, with two assisting tugs. |
| 1983-10-12 | During the docking maneuver, the Pratt backed and turned to port, and towline tension heeled TECO 2 to starboard. |
| 1983-10-12 | Water entered TECO 2 through open exterior main-deck doors, and the tug sank. |
| 1983-10-12 | Two people aboard TECO 2 were seriously injured; the report record states that no one died. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Quarter line and door management | Confirmed finding | The NTSB identified the operator's failure to require that the quarter line be properly tended and the exterior main-deck doors be kept closed as the probable cause. |
| Divided command structure | Confirmed finding | Control of the tugs was not held by the same person who controlled the Pratt. |
| Pilot warning | Confirmed finding | The pilot failed to warn the TECO 2 operator that the Pratt was about to back down. |
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board issued Marine Accident Report NTSB/MAR-84/04 on 17 April 1984. The report determined that the probable cause was the failure to properly tend the quarter line and keep the tug's exterior main-deck doors closed. It identified divided command responsibility and the pilot's failure to warn the tug operator before the Pratt backed down as contributing factors. The incident-specific web record is hosted by the Transportation Research Board's TRID database; a Federal Register notice also lists the NTSB report and number.
References
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