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Accidents

Barcona (1989)

On 14 June 1989, the tug Barcona sank in the San Pedro Channel after the submerged USS Houston's raised antenna snagged the tug's towline during the submarine's approach to periscope depth.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Collision
  • Severity: High
  • Region: United States

The collision led to the sinking of Barcona. Two crewmen escaped and were rescued; one remained missing and was presumed dead.

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameBarcona
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateUnited States
Official Number275594
IMO Number
Gross Tonnage97
LOA (m)22.28
Breadth (m)7.32
Bollard Pull (t)
Power (kW)
Owner/OperatorConnolly-Pacific Company; operator role not separately specified in the web record
Year Built1957
Crew Size3
Other vesselUSS Houston (SSN 713), U.S. Navy nuclear attack submarine

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date1989-06-14
LocationSan Pedro Channel near Santa Catalina Island, California
Coordinates33.3900, -118.4200
RegionUnited States
Fatalities1 presumed dead
Injuries
Missing1
Cargo Loss
Direct DamageBarcona sank and was not salvaged.
Economic Damage
Insured Loss
Salvage/Cleanup Cost

Key facts

  • Barcona was under way from Long Beach to Santa Catalina Island with two empty deck barges in tandem tow.
  • USS Houston came to periscope depth nearby while operating submerged; a raised antenna snagged Barcona's towline.
  • The submarine made an emergency dive at full power. The force pulled Barcona's stern down, and water entered through open exterior main deck doors.
  • Two of Barcona's three crewmen escaped and were rescued. The third was never located and was presumed dead.
  • The NTSB report record identifies emergency towline release, watertight doors, submarine operations near the surface, accident notification, EPIRBs, and crew fatigue as safety issues associated with the casualty.

Narrative

On 14 June 1989, Barcona was towing two empty deck barges from Long Beach toward Santa Catalina Island in the San Pedro Channel. USS Houston, a U.S. Navy nuclear attack submarine, was operating submerged in the same area and prepared to come to periscope depth to obtain a navigational fix. The submarine's crew did not detect Barcona's tow before reaching periscope depth. A raised antenna then snagged the tug's towline.

When the submarine crew realized that it was close to surface vessels, USS Houston executed an emergency dive at full power. The diving submarine pulled Barcona's stern down and flooded the tug through open exterior main deck doors. Barcona sank rapidly. Two of the three crewmen escaped and were later rescued; the third was never located and was presumed dead. The NTSB safety material states that the submarine surfaced about two hours later and that the Coast Guard was not notified by the Navy's shoreside authorities until later.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
1989-06-14 04:30USS Houston prepared to come to periscope depth while Barcona was in the area with two barges in tow.
1989-06-14The submarine's raised antenna snagged Barcona's towline; USS Houston then made an emergency dive at full power.
1989-06-14Barcona's stern was pulled down, water entered through open exterior main deck doors, and the tug sank.
1989-06-14Two crewmen escaped and were rescued; one remained missing and was presumed dead.
1989-06-14 06:52The vessel MY WAY reported the accident to the Coast Guard, about two hours after the emergency dive.

Contributing factors

Evidence labelFactorEvidence-bounded description
NTSB safety analysisFailure to detect the tow before periscope depthThe NTSB safety recommendation states that the submarine crew did not detect Barcona's tow before the submarine reached periscope depth.
NTSB safety analysisOpen exterior main deck doorsThe NTSB states that the emergency dive pulled the stern down and caused flooding through open exterior main deck doors.
NTSB safety analysisNo pilothouse emergency towline releaseThe NTSB states that an emergency towline release operable from the pilothouse might have allowed the tow to be released before the stern submerged.
NTSB safety analysisDelayed notification to local search and rescueThe NTSB records that naval authorities did not relay the accident to local Coast Guard search-and-rescue authorities promptly.

Investigation

The Transportation Research Board's TRID record identifies the NTSB Marine Accident Report NTSB/MAR-90-05, published 28 August 1990. NTSB safety recommendations and an NTSB factual report available on the web reproduce the core sequence and identify the safety issues. A direct public copy of the full 52-page report was not located during this web review.

References

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