Classification
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Incident Type | Sinking |
| Severity | High |
| Investigation Body | Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator |
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Stellar Daisy |
| Vessel Names | Stellar Daisy |
| Vessel Type | Bulk Carrier |
| Flag State | Marshall Islands [MH] |
| IMO Number | 9038725 |
| Gross Tonnage | 148431 |
| LOA (m) | 311.89 |
| Breadth (m) | 58.00 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2017-03-31 |
| Region | Atlantic Ocean |
| Location | South Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | 22 |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | |
Key facts
- Stellar Daisy was carrying iron ore fines from Brazil to China when it foundered in water about 3,400 to 3,600 metres deep.
- At 13:20 ship's time, the master reported flooding in No. 2 port water ballast tank and a rapidly developing port list.
- A distress alert followed at 13:21 and the EPIRB was first detected at 13:25.
- Two of the 24 people aboard survived; the other 22 remained missing and were presumed deceased.
- The Administrator found catastrophic hull failure, loss of buoyancy and uncontrolled flooding the likely direct cause, with cargo liquefaction unlikely to have contributed significantly.
Narrative
Stellar Daisy was a converted very large ore carrier carrying iron ore fines from Ilha Guaíba, Brazil, to Qingdao, China, on 31 March 2017. At 13:20 ship's time, the master reported flooding in No. 2 port water ballast tank and a rapidly developing port list. A distress alert followed at 13:21, and the EPIRB was first detected at 13:25. The casualty developed within minutes. Survivors described an explosion-like noise or earthquake-like rumble, a continuously increasing port list and a list of about 45 degrees at the bridge. Two of the 24 people aboard reached a life raft and were rescued by Elpida on 1 April. The other 22 people were never found, and the active search ended on 9 May 2017. Stellar Daisy sank in water approximately 3,400 to 3,600 metres deep and was a total loss. The Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator found that a rapid port list followed catastrophic hull failure, loss of buoyancy and uncontrolled flooding, most likely beginning in No. 2 port water ballast tank and progressing into other spaces. Likely causal factors included the large wing-tank arrangement, a gap in SOLAS bulk-carrier flooding requirements and ineffective assessment of structural damage identified during the 2011, 2012 and 2015 dry dockings. The report considered fatigue cracking and compromised structure possible contributors to the breach. It found cargo liquefaction unlikely to have initiated the casualty or contributed significantly as the vessel foundered. The precise structural-failure and flooding sequence could not be established.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2017-03-31 13:20 ship's time | The master reported flooding in No. 2 port water ballast tank and a rapidly developing port list. |
| 2017-03-31 13:21 | A DSC distress alert followed. |
| 2017-03-31 13:25 | The EPIRB was first detected. |
| 2017-04-01 | Elpida rescued the two survivors from a life raft. |
| 2017-05-09 | The active search ended without finding the other 22 people. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Catastrophic hull failure and flooding | Confirmed finding | The Administrator identified rapid loss of buoyancy and uncontrolled flooding, most likely beginning in No. 2 port ballast tank, as the likely direct cause. |
| Large wing-tank arrangement | Confirmed finding | The report identified the converted vessel's large wing tanks as a likely causal factor in the severity of the flooding and loss of buoyancy. |
| SOLAS flooding-assessment gap | Confirmed finding | Applicable requirements did not require demonstrating that this bulk-carrier configuration could withstand flooding of one wing tank in every condition. |
| Earlier damage assessments | Confirmed finding | Assessments during earlier dry dockings did not establish the cause of structural damage or require appropriate repair plans. |
| Fatigue cracking and compromised structure | Suspected | The report considered fatigue cracking and compromised structure possible contributors to the initiating breach, but the precise failure sequence was not established. |
Investigation
The Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator published the Stellar Daisy Casualty Investigation Report on 19 April 2019. Its conclusions distinguish the likely direct cause, likely causal factors and potential contributing factors. The report states that flooding most likely began in No. 2 port water ballast tank and progressed rapidly, but that the precise structural-failure sequence could not be established. It confirms two survivors and 22 people missing and presumed deceased; it does not provide a monetary damage estimate.
References
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