Classification
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Incident Type | Capsize |
| Severity | High |
| Investigation Body | National Transportation Safety Board |
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Amay S |
| Vessel Names | Amay S; Point Hope |
| Vessel Type | Offshore Vessel |
| Flag State | United States [US] |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | 19.5 |
| Breadth (m) | |
| Other Involved Vessels | Point Hope, U.S. Coast Guard cutter |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 1984-10-17 |
| Region | United States |
| Location | Gulf of Mexico, about 7.5 nautical miles off Bolivar Peninsula, Texas |
| Coordinates | 25.2834, -89.9066 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | 0 |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | |
Key facts
- Amay S lost propulsion and electrical power while en route to Sabine Pass.
- The vessel requested U.S. Coast Guard assistance and Point Hope took it in tow.
- About 15 minutes after the tow began, Amay S rolled to starboard, capsized, and sank.
- All seven people aboard were rescued.
- The NTSB identified the uncorrected starboard list and the decision to tow bow-first into the sea as causes, with poor stability contributing.
Narrative
Amay S lost propulsion and electrical power while en route to Sabine Pass in the Gulf of Mexico and requested assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard. The cutter Point Hope took Amay S in tow. The casualty occurred about 7.5 nautical miles off Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. Approximately 15 minutes after the tow began, Amay S rolled to starboard, capsized, and sank. All seven people aboard were rescued. The vessel was not salvageable. The NTSB determined that the starboard list was not corrected before towing began and that the decision to tow Amay S bow-first into the sea contributed to the capsize. The investigation also identified poor stability as a contributing condition. The report abstract gives a value of USD 600,000 for Amay S, while the available accident record contains inconsistent loss valuations. That inconsistency is why no financial amount is assigned to the damage fields here. The available record also does not establish a complete injury count, an IMO number, gross tonnage, breadth, or the particulars of Point Hope. The casualty supports a fatality count of zero and a missing-person count of zero because all seven people aboard were rescued.
Sequence of events
| Time | Event |
|---|
| 1984-10-17 | Amay S lost propulsion and electrical power and requested U.S. Coast Guard assistance. |
| About 15 minutes after tow began | Amay S rolled to starboard, capsized, and sank while under tow of Point Hope. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Starboard list not corrected before towing | Confirmed finding | The NTSB identified the uncorrected list as a cause of the capsize. |
| Decision to tow bow-first into the sea | Confirmed finding | The NTSB identified the towing direction as a cause of the capsize. |
| Poor stability | Confirmed finding | The investigation identified the vessel's poor stability as a contributing condition. |
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the casualty in report MAR-85/10. Its findings identify the uncorrected starboard list and the decision to tow bow-first into the sea as causes, with poor stability contributing. All seven people aboard were rescued. The report does not establish a complete injury count or an IMO number, and the available record contains inconsistent loss valuations despite an abstract value of USD 600,000.
References
