Classification
- Incident Type: Allision
- Severity: High
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Bright Field |
| Vessel Names | Bright Field / Enchanted Isle / Nieuw Amsterdam / Queen of New Orleans / Creole Queen |
| Vessel Type | Bulk Carrier |
| Flag State | Liberia [LR] |
| IMO Number | 8715302 |
| Gross Tonnage | 36120 |
| LOA (m) | 224 |
| Breadth (m) | |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 1988 |
| Crew Size | 28 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 1996-12-14 |
| Location | Lower Mississippi River, New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 29.9561, -90.0734 |
| Region | United States |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 62 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | Bright Field about USD 2 million; shoreside facilities about USD 18 million |
| Economic Damage | About USD 20 million property damage |
| Investigation Body | National Transportation Safety Board |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost |
Key facts
- Bright Field temporarily lost propulsion power shortly after 1400 while outbound on the Lower Mississippi River at New Orleans.
- The vessel struck the Poydras Street wharf and then damaged the Riverwalk Marketplace, a condominium parking garage, and part of the Hilton Riverside Hotel.
- The accident caused four serious and 58 minor injuries during evacuations; no fatalities occurred and no one aboard Bright Field was injured.
- Total property damage was estimated at about USD 20 million, including about USD 2 million to Bright Field and USD 18 million to shoreside facilities.
- NTSB identified inadequate engineering-plant maintenance management as the probable cause and inadequate port risk assessment as a contributing factor.
Narrative
On December 14, 1996, the fully loaded Liberian bulk carrier Bright Field was outbound on the Lower Mississippi River at New Orleans. Shortly after 1400, while transiting under the Crescent City Connection Bridges, the vessel's main-engine power output dropped and its automated propulsion control system reported low main-engine lubricating-oil pressure and main-engine trip due to low oil pressure.
The pilot radioed the Governor Nicholls light operator to alert harbor traffic and sounded the danger signal toward the vessels and public areas along the left descending bank. The Queen of New Orleans began evacuating 637 passengers and crew, and the Creole Queen returned to the dock and ordered an emergency evacuation. Patrons and employees in the Riverwalk area had little warning and many did not understand the whistle signal.
About 1411, Bright Field's port bow struck the Poydras Street wharf between the moored Nieuw Amsterdam and Queen of New Orleans. The vessel penetrated the wharf by about 50 to 60 feet, then scraped and collapsed portions of the Riverwalk Marketplace, a condominium parking garage, and part of the Hilton Riverside Hotel. The ship came to rest with its stern about 200 feet from Nieuw Amsterdam and its bow about 70 feet from Queen of New Orleans. The allision caused 4 serious and 58 minor injuries during evacuations. No fatalities occurred and no one aboard Bright Field was injured.
NTSB concluded that Clearsky Shipping Company's inadequate management and oversight of engineering-plant maintenance caused the temporary power loss in a high-risk area. The report also states that the exact cause of the low lubricating-oil pressure could not be determined, and that inadequate risk assessment by public and private port stakeholders contributed to the amount of damage and the number and types of injuries.
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering-plant maintenance oversight | Confirmed finding | NTSB identified Clearsky Shipping Company's inadequate management and oversight of maintenance as the probable cause of the temporary power loss. |
| Low lubricating-oil pressure | Confirmed finding | The propulsion-control system reported low main-engine lubricating-oil pressure and tripped the engine; the exact technical cause of the pressure loss was not determined. |
| Port risk assessment | Confirmed finding | NTSB found that public and private port stakeholders did not adequately assess, manage, or mitigate vessel-strike risks to exposed commercial facilities. |
| Emergency preparedness and evacuation | Confirmed finding | The report identified deficiencies in emergency preparedness and evacuation arrangements for vessels and facilities near the impact area. |
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the accident and issued Marine Accident Report NTSB/MAR-98/01. It determined that inadequate management and oversight of Bright Field's engineering-plant maintenance was the probable cause of the temporary propulsion loss. It also identified inadequate port risk assessment and insufficient emergency preparedness around the wharf area as safety issues. The exact technical cause of the low lubricating-oil pressure remained unresolved.