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Accidents

Ann Brent (1984)

At about 1920 on 11 June 1984, the tug Ann Brent was proceeding downbound on the Lower Mississippi River with a four-barge tow. Near mile 150, the tow collided with the upbound Greek tankship Mantinia. The lead barge sank and discharged No. 6 oil. The other barges were damaged but did not spill their cargoes. Mantinia sustained serious damage to its bow. The NTSB reported no deaths or serious injuries and estimated total vessel damage at more than USD 500,000. The investigation's probable-cause discussion centered on the bridge-to-bridge radio meeting agreement between the Ann Brent operator and the Mantinia pilot. The agreement was ambiguous, leaving the vessels without a sufficiently clear understanding of how they would pass. The available facts support a fatality count of zero, but they do not establish a complete injury count beyond the report's statement that no serious injuries occurred. They also do not establish an IMO number, propulsion power, bollard pull, or exact coordinates for the collision site.

Classification

FieldValue
Incident TypeCollision
SeverityMedium
Investigation BodyNational Transportation Safety Board

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameAnn Brent
Vessel NamesAnn Brent; Mantinia
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateUnited States [US]
IMO Number
Gross Tonnage625
LOA (m)42.21
Breadth (m)11.28
Year Built1976
Other Involved VesselsMantinia, Greek tankship

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date1984-06-11
RegionUnited States
LocationMile 150, Lower Mississippi River
Coordinates30.0000, -90.1000
Fatalities0
Injuries
Missing
Direct DamageMore than USD 500,000
Economic DamageMore than USD 500,000

Key facts

  • Ann Brent was downbound with a four-barge tow.
  • Mantinia was an upbound Greek tankship.
  • The collision occurred at about 1920 on 11 June 1984 near mile 150 of the Lower Mississippi River.
  • The lead barge sank and discharged No. 6 oil; the other barges were damaged without cargo spills.
  • Mantinia sustained serious bow damage, and total vessel damage exceeded USD 500,000.

Narrative

At about 1920 on 11 June 1984, the tug Ann Brent was proceeding downbound on the Lower Mississippi River with a four-barge tow. Near mile 150, the tow collided with the upbound Greek tankship Mantinia. The lead barge sank and discharged No. 6 oil. The other barges were damaged but did not spill their cargoes. Mantinia sustained serious damage to its bow. The NTSB reported no deaths or serious injuries and estimated total vessel damage at more than USD 500,000. The investigation's probable-cause discussion centered on the bridge-to-bridge radio meeting agreement between the Ann Brent operator and the Mantinia pilot. The agreement was ambiguous, leaving the vessels without a sufficiently clear understanding of how they would pass. The available facts support a fatality count of zero, but they do not establish a complete injury count beyond the report's statement that no serious injuries occurred. They also do not establish an IMO number, propulsion power, bollard pull, or exact coordinates for the collision site.

Sequence of events

TimeEvent
1984-06-11, about 1920Ann Brent's four-barge tow collided with the upbound Mantinia near mile 150 of the Lower Mississippi River.
After the collisionThe lead barge sank and discharged No. 6 oil; the other barges and Mantinia were damaged.

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Ambiguous bridge-to-bridge meeting agreementConfirmed findingThe NTSB's probable-cause discussion identified the agreement between the Ann Brent operator and Mantinia pilot as insufficiently clear.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the casualty in report MAR-85/04. Its probable-cause discussion focused on the ambiguity of the bridge-to-bridge radio meeting agreement. The report establishes no deaths and no serious injuries, but it does not provide a complete injury count in the available record. IMO number, propulsion power, bollard pull, and exact coordinates remain unstated.

References

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