Yao Hai and Neftegaz-67 collision | Novatug Maritime Wiki

Classification

Incident type: Collision
Severity: High

Vessel Details

Field	Yao Hai	Neftegaz-67
Vessel type	Bulk Carrier	Supply Tug
Flag / registry	China [CN], Wuhan	Ukraine [UA], Chernomorsk
IMO number	8515697	8418576
Gross tonnage	36,544	2,723
Net tonnage	23,020	817
LOA (m)	225	81.37
Breadth (m)	32.2	16.30
Year built	1986	1990
Class	China Classification Society	Russian Register of Shipping
Crew / persons noted	Master, 3 deck officers, 4 engineers, electrical officer, and 16 ratings	25 crew members plus a Chinese interpreter

Incident Details

Field	Value
Date	2008-03-22
Time	About 2113 local time; collision shortly before 2114 in the vessel accounts
Location	Hong Kong waters
Coordinates	22.345000, 114.001667
Conditions	Cloudy with light rain, westerly light breeze, smooth sea, visibility about 2 nautical miles, current setting west at about 1.5 knots
Fatalities	18
Injuries	0 confirmed among rescued persons
Missing	0 after recovery of the remaining bodies
Outcome	Neftegaz-67 listed, capsized, and sank after the collision; 18 crew members died, while seven people were rescued without injury.
Direct Damage
Estimated Economic Damage

Key facts

Yao Hai was the give-way vessel in a crossing situation and did not take early and substantial avoiding action or proceed at a safe speed.
Neftegaz-67 altered course to port for a vessel on her own port side, contrary to the applicable stand-on-vessel rule.
Yao Hai sustained damage to its stem and bulbous bow. Neftegaz-67 sustained damage to its starboard side shell and shaft tunnel.
Seven people from Neftegaz-67 were rescued without injury; 18 crew members drowned inside the vessel.
Three open watertight doors below deck allowed progressive flooding and contributed to the tug's capsizing and sinking. No economic damage estimate was found.

Narrative

Yao Hai departed Dalian on 18 March 2008 for Shekou with 57,842 tonnes of maize and took a Hong Kong pilot and co-pilot at about 2000 on 22 March 2008. Neftegaz-67 departed Chiwan at about 2000, bound for an oil rig about 47 nautical miles south of Waglan Island, carrying 8 containers and 4 baskets with pipes and other items.

At about 2109, Yao Hai observed Neftegaz-67 fine on the starboard bow at roughly 2 nautical miles. Yao Hai maintained about 13.5 knots before the collision. VTC warnings and VHF exchanges occurred only when the range had closed significantly. At about 2113, Neftegaz-67 altered hard to port and increased speed; Yao Hai made further helm orders, but her bow struck the starboard quarter of Neftegaz-67 at about a right angle shortly before 2114.

After the impact, Neftegaz-67 lost power and lights, reported by VHF that she was sinking, developed a heavy starboard list, capsized, and sank. The report states that open watertight doors below deck allowed progressive flooding. Although the tug was judged capable of withstanding the collision damage if watertight doors were closed, the free surface effects and progressive flooding led to capsizing and sinking.

Sequence of events

Date/time	Event
2008-03-22 about 20:00 local	Yao Hai departed its anchorage with a pilot and co-pilot; Neftegaz-67 departed Chiwan for an offshore oil rig.
2008-03-22 about 21:09 local	Yao Hai observed Neftegaz-67 on its starboard bow at about 2 nautical miles.
2008-03-22 about 21:11 local	VTC warned Neftegaz-67 about the developing collision risk.
2008-03-22 about 21:13 local	Neftegaz-67 altered hard to port and increased speed; Yao Hai's bow struck its starboard quarter.
2008-03-22 after the collision	Neftegaz-67 lost power and lights, developed a heavy starboard list, and sank after capsizing.

Contributing factors

Factor	Evidence status	Description
Yao Hai's late and insufficient avoiding action	Confirmed finding	Yao Hai maintained about 13.5 knots and did not take early, substantial, positive, and readily apparent action.
Unsafe speed	Confirmed finding	The investigation found that Yao Hai should have proceeded more slowly to allow effective avoiding action and stopping.
Neftegaz-67's alteration to port	Confirmed finding	Neftegaz-67 altered toward a vessel on its own port side while acting as the stand-on vessel.
Open watertight doors	Confirmed finding	Three open watertight doors below deck caused progressive flooding and eventual capsizing and sinking.

Investigation

The Hong Kong Marine Department's Marine Accident Investigation and Shipping Security Policy Branch investigated the collision. It attributed the casualty to failures by both vessels in applying the COLREGS and concluded that the open watertight doors allowed progressive flooding that turned collision damage into a capsize and sinking. The report's summary refers to six rescued crew members and a Chinese interpreter, while its search-and-rescue chronology describes seven rescued persons; this wording discrepancy does not affect the recorded 18 fatalities. The official report does not provide a monetary damage estimate.

References

MAISSPB investigation report