Bayou Boeuf (1986) | Novatug Maritime Wiki

Classification

Incident Type: Collision
Severity: Medium
Classification basis: The NTSB report record describes a collision during an overtaking maneuver; the tow suffered multiple barge casualties and the total damage was estimated at USD 3 million.

Vessel Details

Field	Value
Vessel Name	Bayou Boeuf
Vessel Type	Tug
Official Number	264736
Flag State	United States [US]
IMO Number
Gross Tonnage	369
LOA (m)	40.23
Breadth (m)	9.14
Bollard Pull (t)
Power (kW)
Owner/Operator	Oil Transport Company, Inc.
TEU
Year Built	1953
Crew Size

Incident Details

Field	Value
Date	1986-10-28
Location	Avondale Bend at Twelve Mile Point, Mississippi River, near New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Coordinates	29.9561, -90.0734
Region	United States
Fatalities
Injuries	0
Missing
Cargo Loss	One tank barge sank; two tank barges capsized and were pushed ashore.
Direct Damage	Petersfield damaged; one tank barge sank, two tank barges capsized, and other barges sustained damage. Bayou Boeuf was not damaged.
Economic Damage	USD 3 million
Insured Loss
Salvage/Cleanup Cost

Key facts

Petersfield was overtaking the Bayou Boeuf tow while both vessels were proceeding upriver.
The collision occurred at about 19:20 Central Standard Time in Avondale Bend at Twelve Mile Point.
One tank barge sank, two capsized and were pushed ashore, and four other tank barges and the S-20 sustained damage.
Petersfield sustained bow and port-side damage; Bayou Boeuf and Harry McNeal were not damaged.
The NTSB report record states that no one was injured and estimates total damage at USD 3 million.

Narrative

At about 19:20 Central Standard Time on 28 October 1986, the Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier Petersfield and the U.S. towboat Bayou Boeuf's eight-tank-barge tow collided in Avondale Bend at Twelve Mile Point on the Mississippi River near New Orleans. Both vessels were proceeding upriver, and Petersfield was overtaking the tow.

The collision damaged Petersfield's starboard bow and port side. One tank barge sank, two tank barges capsized and were pushed ashore, and four other tank barges and the fuel barge S-20 sustained damage. Bayou Boeuf and the assisting towboat Harry McNeal were not damaged. The NTSB report record states that no one was injured and that total damage was estimated at USD 3 million.

The NTSB determined that the Petersfield pilot failed to apply sufficient rudder in a timely manner to maintain adequate separation while overtaking the tow upstream in a strong current around Twelve Mile Point. It also identified the failure of the state pilotage oversight system to monitor the pilot's performance and remove the pilot from service or correct the deficiencies.

Sequence of events

Date/time	Event
1986-10-28 19:20 CST	Petersfield overtook the upriver Bayou Boeuf tow in Avondale Bend at Twelve Mile Point.
1986-10-28	Petersfield and the tow collided. Petersfield and multiple barges were damaged; one barge sank and two capsized.
1986-10-28	The NTSB report record states that no one was injured and estimates total damage at USD 3 million.

Contributing factors

Factor	Evidence status	Description
Insufficient rudder during overtaking	Confirmed finding	The NTSB identified the Petersfield pilot's failure to apply sufficient rudder in time to maintain separation as the probable cause.
State pilotage oversight failure	Confirmed finding	The NTSB identified failure of the state pilotage oversight system to monitor performance and correct or remove the pilot as a contributing factor.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the casualty under report NTSB/MAR-88/01. The report identified the Petersfield pilot's handling during the overtaking maneuver as the probable cause and state pilotage oversight deficiencies as a contributing factor.

References

United States
Collision
Tug Incident Classification
Bayou Boeuf
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)