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Accidents

Chandy N (1990)

On 28 July 1990, the Greek tankship Shinoussa collided with a three-barge tow pushed by Chandy N near Red Fish Island in the Houston Ship Channel. One barge sank, two were damaged, and oil entered Galveston Bay.

Classification

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

The NTSB attributed the collision to excessive speed by the Shinoussa pilot and inadequate planning by the Shinoussa and Hellespont Faith pilots during the overtaking and meeting manoeuvre.

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameChandy N
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateUnited States
Official Number6145080
IMO Number
Gross Tonnage195
LOA (m)21.64
Breadth (m)8.53
Bollard Pull (t)
Power (kW)
Owner/OperatorGolnoy Barge Company / Apex Oil Company
Year Built1979
Crew Size
Other vesselsShinoussa; Hellespont Faith; APEX 3417, APEX 3503, APEX 3510

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date1990-07-28
LocationRed Fish Island, Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Bay, Texas
Coordinates29.3500, -94.8500
RegionUnited States
Fatalities
Injuries0
Missing
Cargo Loss
Direct DamageShinoussa sustained bow damage; APEX 3417 sank, APEX 3503 and APEX 3510 were damaged, and Chandy N was not damaged.
Economic DamageUSD 1,784,105 vessel and cargo damage; USD 2.1 million estimated Federal Pollution Fund cleanup cost
Insured Loss
Salvage/Cleanup Cost

Key facts

  • At about 1440 on 28 July 1990, Shinoussa collided with the three-barge tow being pushed by Chandy N near Red Fish Island.
  • Chandy N had just been overtaken by Hellespont Faith and was meeting outbound Shinoussa when Shinoussa struck lead barge APEX 3417.
  • APEX 3417 sank, APEX 3503 and APEX 3510 were damaged, and Chandy N and Hellespont Faith were not damaged.
  • The NTSB records no injuries, USD 1,784,105 in vessel and cargo damage, an estimated USD 2.1 million Federal Pollution Fund cleanup cost, and an estimated 347,000 gallons of oil released.
  • The Coast Guard closed the channel near the casualty and began a pollution response; NTSB safety material records that skimming equipment did not arrive for about 40 hours.

Narrative

At about 1440 on 28 July 1990, the Greek tankship Shinoussa collided with a three-tank-barge tow pushed by the U.S. towboat Chandy N near Red Fish Island in the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Bay. Chandy N had just been overtaken by the Liberian tankship Hellespont Faith and was meeting outbound Shinoussa when Shinoussa struck the lead barge, APEX 3417.

APEX 3417 sank, while APEX 3503 and APEX 3510 were damaged. Shinoussa sustained bow damage. Chandy N and Hellespont Faith were not damaged. The NTSB safety material records no injuries, total vessel and cargo damage of USD 1,784,105, an estimated Federal Pollution Fund cleanup cost of USD 2.1 million, and an estimated 347,000 gallons of oil lost to the environment.

About 15 minutes after the collision, the Chandy N operator notified the Coast Guard that APEX 3417 had sunk and was polluting the waterway. The Coast Guard closed the channel near the casualty and began an investigation and pollution response. The NTSB later noted that containment and skimming response was delayed, with skimming equipment arriving about 40 hours after the spill.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
1990-07-28 about 14:40Shinoussa collided with Chandy N's three-barge tow near Red Fish Island.
1990-07-28APEX 3417 sank; APEX 3503 and APEX 3510 were damaged; Shinoussa sustained bow damage.
1990-07-28 about 14:55The Chandy N operator notified the Coast Guard of the sinking and pollution.
1990-07-28The Coast Guard closed the channel near the casualty and began pollution response and investigation.
After the accidentNTSB safety material records delays in the arrival of skimming equipment and the subsequent cleanup response.

Contributing factors

Evidence labelFactorEvidence-bounded description
NTSB probable causeExcessive speedThe NTSB attributed the collision in part to the Shinoussa pilot's use of excessive speed.
NTSB probable causeInadequate overtaking and meeting planningThe NTSB attributed the collision in part to inadequate planning by the Shinoussa and Hellespont Faith pilots for the overtaking and meeting manoeuvre.

Investigation

The original NTSB Marine Accident Report is identified in official NTSB safety material as NTSB/MAR-91/03. A later NTSB marine accident report reproduces the original investigation's event summary and probable-cause finding. The reviewed official sources do not identify a direct public URL for the original report.

References

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