Classification
- Incident Type: Grounded
- Severity: Medium
- Tug involvement: no
- Tug mechanism: N/A
Grounding caused by human error, inadequate supervision, and poor bridge team coordination.
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Empress of the North |
| Vessel Type | Passenger |
| Flag State | United States [US] |
| IMO Number | 9263538 |
| MMSI | 367611420 |
| Gross Tonnage | 5975 |
| LOA (m) | 91.22 |
| Breadth (m) | |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 2003 |
| Crew Size | 75 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2007-05-14 |
| Location | Intersection of Lynn Canal and Icy Strait, Southeast Alaska (Rocky Island) |
| Coordinates | 58.176667, -135.051667 |
| Region | United States |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Outcome | Empress of the North grounded on Rocky Island; all passengers and crew were evacuated, no injuries or pollution were reported, and repair and return-to-service costs were estimated at USD 4.8 million. |
| Direct Damage | |
| Estimated Economic Damage | USD 4.8 million |
Key facts
- Empress of the North grounded on Rocky Island near the intersection of Lynn Canal and Icy Strait in southeast Alaska at about 01:30 on 14 May 2007.
- The vessel carried 206 passengers and 75 crewmembers. All passengers and nonessential crew were evacuated safely.
- The master assigned the midnight-to-0400 watch to a newly licensed junior third mate who had never stood an underway watch and was unfamiliar with the route.
- The helmsman initiated course changes without informing the officer or receiving commands, and the vessel struck the rocks after an insufficient rate of turn.
- The NTSB reported no injuries or pollution and estimated repair and return-to-service cost at USD 4.8 million.
Narrative
At approximately 0130 on May 14, 2007, the passenger vessel Empress of the North ran aground on Rocky Island near the intersection of Lynn Canal and Icy Strait in southeast Alaska. Carrying 206 passengers and 75 crewmembers, the vessel was making a westward turn. The master had assigned the midnight-to-0400 watch to a newly licensed junior third mate who had never stood an underway watch and was unfamiliar with the route. During the watch, the helmsman initiated course changes without informing the officer or receiving commands. Due to an insufficient rate of turn and a lack of proper lookout, the vessel struck the rocks. The impact breached the starboard hull in several void spaces and severely damaged the starboard propulsion thruster. The master promptly organized an evacuation. Multiple Good Samaritan vessels and Coast Guard assets responded, safely taking off all passengers and nonessential crewmembers. Although no injuries or pollution resulted, the NTSB found serious safety deficiencies, including invalid safety management documents, malfunctioning lifesaving equipment (evacuation slides and liferaft release units), and the master's decision to entrust the watch to an unqualified officer.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2007-05-14 about 01:30 | Empress of the North grounded on Rocky Island during a westward turn. |
| 2007-05-14 | The master organized an evacuation while Good Samaritan vessels and Coast Guard assets responded. |
| 2007-05-14 | Passengers and nonessential crew were evacuated to Juneau; no injuries or pollution were reported. |
| 2007-05-14 onward | The vessel was repaired and returned to service; the NTSB report estimated the cost at USD 4.8 million. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Inexperienced watch officer | Confirmed finding | The master placed a newly licensed junior third mate with no underway-watch experience on the critical navigation watch. |
| Inadequate supervision | Confirmed finding | The junior officer was unfamiliar with the route and was not adequately supervised or guided. |
| Helmsman acting outside authority | Confirmed finding | The helmsman initiated course changes without informing the officer or receiving commands. |
| Bridge resource management | Confirmed finding | The NTSB identified deficiencies in watchkeeping, supervision, and bridge-team coordination. |
| Lifesaving equipment deficiencies | Confirmed finding | The investigation identified malfunctioning evacuation slides and liferaft release units, although the evacuation was completed without reported injuries. |
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the grounding and published Marine Accident Report MAR-08/02 on 4 November 2008. It identified the master's assignment of an inexperienced officer, inadequate supervision and documentation, bridge resource management deficiencies, helmsman actions outside authority, and lifesaving-equipment defects as safety issues. The report recorded no injuries or pollution and estimated repair and return-to-service cost at USD 4.8 million.
References
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