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Accidents

Celtic (1984)

At about 2230 on 17 November 1984, the tug Celtic and the barge Cape Race sank suddenly in Long Island Sound, about six miles south of Norwalk, Connecticut. Both vessels were lost. The six-person crew of Celtic died in the casualty. The NTSB's findings associated the sinking with inadequate maintenance of the barge, hull failure and flooding, and the tug being pulled under. The investigation also identified the absence of a quick remote towline-release capability as a contributing factor. The report estimated the value of the vessels and cargo at about USD 500,000. The available record does not establish an IMO number, LOA, breadth, propulsion power, bollard pull, or a separate injury count. It also does not state a separate missing-person count beyond the confirmed loss of Celtic's six crew members. Physical damage is described by the loss of both vessels; the reported USD 500,000 amount is retained as an economic estimate rather than a direct-damage description.

Classification

FieldValue
Incident TypeSinking
SeverityHigh
Investigation BodyNational Transportation Safety Board

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameCeltic
Vessel NamesCeltic; Cape Race
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateUnited States [US]
IMO Number
Gross Tonnage146
LOA (m)
Breadth (m)
Year Built1958
Other Involved VesselsCape Race, barge

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date1984-11-17
RegionUnited States
LocationLong Island Sound, about 6 miles south of Norwalk, Connecticut
Coordinates41.0000, -73.0000
Fatalities6
Injuries
Missing
Direct Damage
Economic DamageUSD 500,000

Key facts

  • Celtic and Cape Race sank suddenly at about 2230 on 17 November 1984.
  • The casualty occurred in Long Island Sound about six miles south of Norwalk, Connecticut.
  • Both vessels were lost.
  • All six members of Celtic's crew died.
  • The value of the vessels and cargo was estimated at about USD 500,000.

Narrative

At about 2230 on 17 November 1984, the tug Celtic and the barge Cape Race sank suddenly in Long Island Sound, about six miles south of Norwalk, Connecticut. Both vessels were lost. The six-person crew of Celtic died in the casualty. The NTSB's findings associated the sinking with inadequate maintenance of the barge, hull failure and flooding, and the tug being pulled under. The investigation also identified the absence of a quick remote towline-release capability as a contributing factor. The report estimated the value of the vessels and cargo at about USD 500,000. The available record does not establish an IMO number, LOA, breadth, propulsion power, bollard pull, or a separate injury count. It also does not state a separate missing-person count beyond the confirmed loss of Celtic's six crew members. Physical damage is described by the loss of both vessels; the reported USD 500,000 amount is retained as an economic estimate rather than a direct-damage description.

Sequence of events

TimeEvent
1984-11-17, about 2230Celtic and Cape Race sank suddenly in Long Island Sound south of Norwalk, Connecticut.

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Inadequate barge maintenanceConfirmed findingThe NTSB associated inadequate maintenance of Cape Race with the sinking.
Hull failure and floodingConfirmed findingHull failure and flooding caused the barge to lose buoyancy and contributed to the casualty.
No quick remote towline releaseConfirmed findingThe NTSB identified the lack of a quick remote release as a contributing factor after the tug was pulled under.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the casualty in report MAR-85/12. Its findings associate the sinking with inadequate barge maintenance, hull failure and flooding, and the tug being pulled under. The lack of a quick remote towline-release capability was also identified as a contributing factor. The report confirms six fatalities among Celtic's crew but does not establish a separate injury or missing-person count.

References

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