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Accidents

Apollo (2013)

Apollo was inbound on the River Thames from Antwerp to London with 21,730 tonnes of gas oil for discharge at the Vopak terminal. Two Port of London Authority pilots were on the bridge: a Class 3 pilot conducting a practical examination and a Class 1 pilot assessing him. The berthing plan called for Svitzer Laceby and Svitzer Brunel to assist before Apollo reached the terminal.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Allision
  • Severity: Medium

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameApollo
Vessel NamesApollo / Svitzer Laceby / Svitzer Brunel
Vessel TypeTanker
Flag StateGibraltar [GI]
IMO Number9234628
Gross Tonnage16914
LOA (m)167.61
Owner/OperatorCarl Buettner GmbH & Co KG, Bremen, Germany
Year Built2003
Cargo21730 tonnes gas oil
Manning21
Persons on board23

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2013-07-25
TimeAbout 02:19 local (UTC+1)
LocationNorthfleet Hope Container Terminal, Tilburyness, River Thames, England
Coordinates51.4600, 0.3600
RegionUnited Kingdom
Fatalities0
Injuries0
Missing0
Vessels sunk or lost
Investigation BodyMarine Accident Investigation Branch
Direct DamageMaterial damage to Apollo's shell plating and significant damage to the quayside at Northfleet Hope Container Terminal.
Economic Damage
Environmental impactNo pollution occurred; the terminal remained operational.

Key facts

  • Apollo was carrying 21,730 tonnes of gas oil, with 21 crew and 23 people on board.
  • The Class 3 pilot ordered the engine stopped while Apollo rounded Tilburyness, unaware that the vessel's controllable pitch propeller would go to zero pitch.
  • Apollo's starboard bow contacted the quay at about 6 knots; both anchors and two tugs were then used to bring the vessel under control.
  • The cargo tanks remained intact, no pollution occurred, and the terminal remained operational.
  • MAIB identified deficiencies in propulsion information, pilot examination arrangements, and bridge-team composition.

Narrative

Apollo was inbound on the River Thames from Antwerp to London with 21,730 tonnes of gas oil for discharge at the Vopak terminal. Two Port of London Authority pilots were on the bridge: a Class 3 pilot conducting a practical examination and a Class 1 pilot assessing him. The berthing plan called for Svitzer Laceby and Svitzer Brunel to assist before Apollo reached the terminal.

At about 02:10 local time on 25 July 2013, the pilot began slowing Apollo and called the master because the tugs were due to be made fast. As the vessel rounded Tilburyness in a strong flood tide, the pilot ordered the engine stopped at 02:15:35, believing Apollo had a fixed-pitch propeller. The vessel instead had a controllable pitch propeller, which went to zero pitch and interrupted the flow over the rudder. Apollo's turn became uncontrollable.

The pilot ordered ahead power and requested Svitzer Laceby's assistance. He later ordered Svitzer Brunel to push the bow, but that tug first had to turn into position. At 02:19, the pilot ordered full astern. About 20 seconds later, Apollo's starboard bow contacted the edge of the quay at approximately 6 knots. Both anchors were let go. Svitzer Laceby was secured aft and Svitzer Brunel forward, and Apollo stopped about 40 metres from a vessel alongside the next berth. The Class 1 pilot then took over and Apollo continued inward after the anchors were recovered.

The contact holed and indented Apollo's shell plating but did not damage the cargo tanks. No pollution was detected, and the terminal remained operational. Apollo berthed at 03:39, discharged its cargo, received temporary repairs approved by its classification society, and sailed to Rotterdam for permanent repairs. The vessel resumed trading on 18 August 2013.

MAIB found that the pilots did not know Apollo was fitted with a controllable pitch propeller because the information was not readily available in the Port of London Authority database and was difficult to find on the pilot card. The investigation also identified shortcomings in the practical examination and bridge-team manning. The master had left the bridge without nominating the chief officer, leaving no ship's officer positioned to intervene promptly.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2013-07-24 22:06 localThe two pilots boarded Apollo off North Foreland; the Class 3 pilot took the conduct for his practical examination.
2013-07-25 02:10 localApollo approached Gravesend, and the pilot called the master because the tugs were due to be made fast.
2013-07-25 02:15 localThe pilot ordered the engine stopped while Apollo rounded Tilburyness; the controllable pitch propeller went to zero pitch.
2013-07-25 02:17 localThe pilot ordered full ahead and requested assistance from Svitzer Laceby.
2013-07-25 02:19 localThe pilot ordered full astern, and Apollo's starboard bow contacted the quay about 20 seconds later.
2013-07-25 02:23 localWith tug and anchor assistance, Apollo stopped about 40 metres from a berthed vessel.
2013-07-25 03:39 localApollo berthed at the Vopak terminal.
2013-08-18Apollo resumed trading after permanent repairs.

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Controllable pitch propeller set to zeroConfirmed findingThe stop order set Apollo's propeller to zero pitch, interrupted flow across the rudder, and caused an uncontrollable increase in the vessel's rate of turn.
Incomplete propulsion informationConfirmed findingThe PLA database did not identify Apollo's controllable pitch propeller, and the relevant entry on the pilot card was difficult to find.
Practical examination arrangementsConfirmed findingApollo was not representative of the vessels for which the candidate was being examined, and the assessment method discouraged the Class 1 pilot from intervening.
Bridge-team compositionConfirmed findingThe master left the bridge without nominating the chief officer, so no ship's officer was positioned to intervene promptly when the stop order was given.
Strong and complex tidal flowConfirmed findingApollo was rounding Tilburyness in a strong flood tide, including a local counter-flow that contributed to the vessel's unintended sheer.

Investigation

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch published Serious Marine Casualty Report 15/2014 on 12 June 2014. It concluded that Apollo lost control after the pilot ordered the engine stopped without knowing that the vessel had a controllable pitch propeller. MAIB also identified weaknesses in PLA vessel-data management, the pilot examination and assessment process, and bridge-team manning. Recommendations 2014/124 and 2014/125 were made to the Port of London Authority, and recommendation 2014/126 was made to the UK Marine Pilots Association and the Port Marine Safety Code Steering Group.

References

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