Classification
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Incident Type | Fire |
| Severity | High |
| Investigation Body | NTSB |
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Alliance St. Louis |
| Vessel Names | Alliance St. Louis |
| Vessel Type | Ro-Ro / Car Carrier |
| Flag State | United States [US] |
| IMO Number | 9285500 |
| Gross Tonnage | 57280 |
| LOA (m) | 193.8 |
| Breadth (m) | |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2017-01-16 |
| Region | Gulf of Mexico |
| Location | Gulf of Mexico, about 190 miles south of New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 26°35′N, 089°23.9′W |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | More than USD 3.75 million |
Key facts
- Alliance St. Louis was crossing the Gulf of Mexico with 20 crew members aboard.
- At 02:52 on 16 January, the main-engine low fuel-oil inlet-pressure alarm was followed by fire alarms and loss of electrical power.
- A plug in the number 6 cylinder fuel-pump housing had not been properly tightened and worked loose.
- High-pressure marine gas oil sprayed past an improperly attached shield and ignited on hot exhaust piping.
- The crew isolated the engine room and released about 8,000 pounds of carbon dioxide in three stages; no one was injured and no pollution was reported.
Narrative
Alliance St. Louis left Port Arthur, Texas, on 15 January 2017 with 20 crew members aboard and crossed the Gulf of Mexico. The engine room was placed in unmanned operation at 15:00. Engineers made routine rounds at 22:00 and 23:00 without observing a problem. At 02:52 on 16 January, the main-engine low fuel-oil inlet-pressure alarm activated, followed by fire detection alarms and loss of electrical power. Heavy black smoke prevented the crew from entering the engine room immediately. They stopped machinery, closed ventilation dampers and operated the fuel-system quick-closing valves. At 03:11, an entry team confirmed fire around the main engine. The high-pressure water-mist system was unavailable after the power loss, so the crew released carbon dioxide at 03:35 and made further discharges at 04:24 and 04:44. About 8,000 pounds of extinguishing agent were used, and the engine room remained sealed for about 26 hours. The salvage vessel Crosby Endeavor arrived on 17 January with an emergency response team and declared the fire extinguished at 13:00 after finding no remaining hot spots. Temporary cables restored limited electrical power on 18 January, and Crosby Endeavor towed Alliance St. Louis back to Port Arthur. The fire destroyed or severely damaged main electrical cables, wiring and equipment in the upper engine room. Examination found a missing plug from the number 6 cylinder fuel-pump housing. The NTSB determined that improper tightening allowed the plug to vibrate loose and release high-pressure marine gas oil. An improperly attached spray shield failed to contain the leak, allowing fuel to reach hot exhaust piping and ignite. Property damage exceeded USD 3.75 million.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2017-01-16 02:52 local | Fuel-pressure and fire alarms activated, followed by loss of electrical power. |
| 2017-01-16 03:11 local | An entry team confirmed fire around the main engine. |
| 2017-01-16 03:35 local | The first carbon-dioxide discharge was released. |
| 2017-01-16 04:24 and 04:44 local | The crew made two additional carbon-dioxide releases. |
| 2017-01-17 13:00 local | Responders declared the fire extinguished. |
| 2017-01-18 about 12:00 local | Temporary cables restored limited electrical power. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Improperly tightened fuel-pump plug | Confirmed finding | A plug in the number 6 cylinder fuel-pump housing worked loose and released high-pressure marine gas oil. |
| Improper spray-shield attachment | Confirmed finding | The shield did not contain the leak, allowing fuel to spray toward hot exhaust piping. |
| Hot exhaust surface | Confirmed finding | Escaping marine gas oil contacted hot number 6 cylinder exhaust piping and ignited. |
| Loss of electrical power | Confirmed finding | Fire damage made the high-pressure water-mist system unavailable and disabled normal electrical power. |
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the fire in report MAR-18/01. It determined that improper tightening of the number 6 cylinder fuel-pump housing plug was the probable cause. Improper attachment of the spray shield contributed by allowing fuel to reach hot exhaust piping. The report records no fatalities, injuries or missing persons, and estimates property damage at more than USD 3.75 million.
References
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