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Accidents

Sun Coast (1991)

Other vessels:

Classification

  • Incident Type: Collision
  • Severity: High

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameSun Coast
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateUnited States [US]
LOA (m)25.91
Power (kW)1342
Owner/OperatorRobert Dann Company
Persons aboard5

Other vessels:

VesselRoleFlagPersons aboard
American PromiseSailing vesselUnited States [US]12
E-2Freight bargeUnited States [US]Unmanned

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date1991-04-21
LocationChesapeake Bay off Cove Point, Maryland, United States
RegionUnited States
Fatalities0
Injuries0
Missing0
Vessels sunk or lost1, American Promise; later salvaged
Direct DamageAmerican Promise sustained more than USD 800,000 damage; E-2 sustained about USD 10,000 damage; Sun Coast was not damaged.
Economic Damage

Key facts

  • The collision occurred at about 0205 local time on 1991-04-21.
  • American Promise had 12 crewmembers aboard, Sun Coast had five, and E-2 was unmanned.
  • The report recorded no injuries; one American Promise crewmember was recovered from the water and treated for moderate hypothermia.
  • American Promise sank at 0645 and was salvaged five days later; Sun Coast was undamaged.
  • American Promise sustained more than USD 800,000 damage and E-2 about USD 10,000 damage.

Narrative

American Promise, a 60-foot U.S. Naval Academy sailing vessel with 12 people aboard, was returning to Annapolis during an overnight training cruise. In 20-knot north-northeast winds, four-foot seas, rain squalls, and reduced visibility, it became hove-to while its crew tried to clear fouled jib sheets. Watchstanders sighted the lights of the approaching Sun Coast tow at about 0145, but the assistant officer in charge initially continued working on the sheets and did not call the tow or illuminate the sails. The watch captain changed the radio from the academy frequency to channel 12 rather than monitoring channel 16. (NTSB/MAR-92/01/SUM, PDF pp. 3-8)

Sun Coast was an 85-foot, 1,800-hp tug pushing the unmanned, coal-laden barge E-2 toward Baltimore. Its five-person crew stood six-hour watches. After the deckhand left the pilothouse at 0200 for an engine-room round, the relief master detected intermittent radar contacts less than a quarter-mile away. He suspected a sailboat, could not obtain a reliable range, and received no answer on channels 16 and 13. He turned the tow to starboard, reversed both engines, and sounded danger signals, but did not stop immediately to assess the close-quarters situation. The barge struck American Promise amidships at about 0205. (NTSB/MAR-92/01/SUM, PDF pp. 8-11)

The impact dismasted American Promise and knocked its watch captain overboard. Sun Coast reported the collision immediately, secured the sailing vessel alongside E-2, and recovered the watch captain at about 0250 by following the strobe on her life vest. The Coast Guard treated her for moderate hypothermia. Although the report's incident table records no injuries, all 12 sailing-vessel crewmembers were later examined and released. American Promise flooded, broke free, and sank at 0645. USS Preserver salvaged it and returned it to the Naval Academy on 26 April. (NTSB/MAR-92/01/SUM, PDF pp. 11-13)

The NTSB attributed the collision to Sun Coast's operator failing to stop after he could not visually identify the vessel crossing ahead, and to American Promise's assistant officer in charge failing to warn the tow by radio or illuminated sails. It identified Sun Coast's inadequate lookout, American Promise's radio watch and delayed manoeuvre, and a possibly ineffective radar reflector as contributing factors. (NTSB/MAR-92/01/SUM, PDF pp. 18-20)

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
1991-04-21 01:45 localAmerican Promise's watch sighted the approaching Sun Coast tow while the sailing vessel was hove-to.
1991-04-21 02:00 localSun Coast's deckhand left the pilothouse for an engine-room check; the relief master soon detected intermittent radar contacts.
1991-04-21 02:05 localBarge E-2 struck American Promise amidships.
1991-04-21 02:50 localSun Coast recovered American Promise's watch captain from the water.
1991-04-21 06:45 localAmerican Promise broke free from the barge and sank.
1991-04-26USS Preserver delivered the salvaged American Promise to the Naval Academy.

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Sun Coast collision avoidanceConfirmed findingThe NTSB identified the operator's failure to stop when he could not sight the vessel shown crossing ahead on radar as part of the probable cause.
American Promise warning and manoeuvreConfirmed findingThe assistant officer in charge did not signal the tow by radio or illuminated sails and did not turn the sailing vessel away in time.
Inadequate lookout on Sun CoastConfirmed findingThe NTSB found that the relief master could not maintain a continuous visual lookout while also performing navigation duties.
Radio watchConfirmed findingAmerican Promise did not monitor channel 16, preventing timely communication with Sun Coast.
Pilothouse visibilityConfirmed findingThe lack of windshield wipers contributed to the relief master's failure to see American Promise's navigation lights until collision was unavoidable.
Radar reflector effectivenessConfirmed findingThe NTSB listed a possibly ineffective radar reflector on American Promise among the contributing factors.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board adopted summary report NTSB/MAR-92/01/SUM on 19 November 1992. Recommendations M-92-59 through M-92-61 addressed channel 16 monitoring, prompt radio passing agreements, and testing radar reflectors on Naval Academy vessels. Recommendations M-92-62 and M-92-63 required Robert Dann Company to train and assign lookouts and provide windshield wipers or another means of keeping tug pilothouse windows clear. (NTSB/MAR-92/01/SUM, PDF pp. 19-20)

References

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