Classification
- Incident Type: Collision
- Severity: High
- Source casualty class: Serious Marine Casualty
- Region: South China Sea
- Tug involvement: no
- Tug mechanism: N/A
Vessel Details
| Field | Gortynia | DZ Qingdao |
|---|---|---|
| Vessel Type | Bulk Carrier | Bulk Carrier |
| Flag State | Malta [MT] | Liberia [LR] |
| IMO Number | 9702584 | 9116656 |
| Gross Tonnage | 93297 | 27763 |
| LOA (m) | 292.00 | 189.99 |
| Year Built | 2015 | 1996 |
| Registered Owner | Premier Shipholdings Co Ltd | DZ Qingdao Shipping Corp Ltd |
| Manager | Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Ltd | Sea Ray Shipping Co Ltd |
| Voyage / cargo | Saldanha Bay departure, scheduled Singapore stop, 179,554 mt iron ore loaded | Ballast voyage from Tianjin to Port Kelang |
| Crew Size | 22 | Not available in the report |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2017-05-17, about 0030 LT |
| Location | East-bound deep water route, Singapore Strait TSS, off Batu Berhanti |
| Coordinates | 1.194333, 103.860667 |
| Region | South China Sea |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Outcome | Gortynia sustained extensive port-side hull and ballast-tank damage; DZ Qingdao sustained major bow damage of unknown exact extent; no injuries or fatalities were reported. |
| Direct Damage | |
| Estimated Economic Damage |
Key facts
- DZ Qingdao suffered a total power failure and probably lost steering, becoming not under command while entering the Singapore Strait deep water route.
- Gortynia's bridge team relied too heavily on AIS target monitoring and did not continue tracking the target effectively with radar and ARPA after the AIS vector disappeared.
- VTIS warned DZ Qingdao at 00:26:52 local time that it was entering the deep water route, but the vessel did not clearly report that it was not under command.
- The collision occurred at about 00:29:12 local time. Gortynia sustained major port-side damage; DZ Qingdao sustained major bow damage of unknown exact extent.
- The report records no injuries or fatalities. MSIU had limited access to DZ Qingdao information and records.
Narrative
Gortynia was approaching Singapore after departing Saldanha Bay with iron ore. At 0015 LT, Gortynia's chief mate acquired DZ Qingdao and another vessel as AIS targets on radar, and DZ Qingdao appeared set to pass clear in the west-bound lane. At about 0022 LT, DZ Qingdao's AIS vector disappeared after a total power failure. The AIS symbol later reappeared without a useful vector, and the radar trail and vessel aspect showed a heading change toward Gortynia.
VTIS warned DZ Qingdao at 0026:52 LT that she was entering the deep water route. DZ Qingdao acknowledged the call but did not clearly report that she was not under command. Gortynia's bridge team became aware of the immediate danger at a late stage, and engine and helm orders did not prevent the collision at about 0029:12 LT. MSIU attributed the missed warning signs to continued reliance on AIS target information, inadequate ongoing lookout, missed VHF cues, and distraction on Gortynia's bridge.
After the collision, Gortynia avoided shallow water near Batu Berhanti and anchored in Eastern Anchorage Bravo. The report records no injuries or fatalities. Gortynia sustained extensive port-side hull and ballast-tank damage; DZ Qingdao's bow damage was major, but MSIU did not know the exact extent because it had limited access to DZ Qingdao.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2017-05-17 00:15 local | Gortynia acquired DZ Qingdao and another vessel as AIS targets on radar. |
| 2017-05-17 about 00:22 local | DZ Qingdao's AIS vector disappeared after a total power failure. |
| 2017-05-17 00:26:52 local | VTIS warned DZ Qingdao that it was entering the deep water route. |
| 2017-05-17 about 00:29:12 local | Gortynia and DZ Qingdao collided off Batu Berhanti. |
| 2017-05-17 after the collision | Gortynia avoided shallow water and anchored in Eastern Anchorage Bravo. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DZ Qingdao power and steering failure | Confirmed finding | MSIU found that a total power failure probably resulted in steering failure and that DZ Qingdao became not under command. |
| Excessive reliance on AIS | Confirmed finding | Gortynia's bridge team did not continue effective radar and ARPA tracking after the AIS vector disappeared. |
| Inadequate lookout and cue integration | Confirmed finding | The bridge team missed radar, visual, VHF, and AIS-loss cues until the collision risk was advanced. |
| Incomplete not-under-command warning | Confirmed finding | DZ Qingdao acknowledged the VTIS call but did not clearly report its loss of power and steering to VTIS or nearby vessels. |
| Limited evidence from DZ Qingdao | Confirmed finding | MSIU could not obtain complete information about DZ Qingdao's crew and bridge actions. |
Investigation
Transport Malta's Marine Safety Investigation Unit published Marine Safety Investigation Report No. 11/2018. It concluded that DZ Qingdao suffered a total power failure and probably steering failure, while Gortynia's bridge team failed to maintain effective monitoring and missed multiple warning cues. The report records no injuries or fatalities but does not provide a monetary damage estimate or an exact survey of DZ Qingdao's bow damage.
References
- Transport Malta source note
- Transport Malta report 11/2018