Classification
- Incident Type: Collision
- Severity: Medium
- Tug involvement: no
- Tug mechanism: N/A
Report on Investigation of Marine Accident
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Sundstraum |
| Vessel Type | Tanker |
| Flag State | Norway [NO] |
| IMO Number | 8920567 |
| Gross Tonnage | 3205 |
| LOA (m) | 96.25 |
| Breadth (m) | 15.10 |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 1993 |
| Crew Size | 12 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2009-07-03 |
| Location | Drogden Channel, Øresund, Denmark |
| Coordinates | |
| Region | Baltic Sea |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Outcome | Both vessels sustained physical damage; no injuries, fatalities, or environmental damage were reported. |
| Direct Damage | |
| Estimated Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost | |
Key facts
- At 13:16 local time on 3 July 2009, Sundstraum and Kapitan Lus collided at the northern end of the Drogden Channel in Øresund.
- Sundstraum began oscillating between starboard and port course changes about six minutes before the collision.
- The investigation found no steering-gear defect that explained the oscillations.
- Sundstraum sustained limited forepeak-tank and bow-section bulwark damage. Kapitan Lus sustained damage to a starboard wing tank and hold no. 3 below the waterline, with water ingress and list.
- No injuries, fatalities, or environmental damage were reported. The report does not provide a monetary damage estimate.
Narrative
On July 3, 2009, the Norwegian-flagged chemical tanker Sundstraum (3,205 GT) collided with the Malta-flagged dry cargo vessel Kapitan Lus (4,998 GT) in the Drogden Channel, Øresund. Sundstraum was southbound with 3,707 tonnes of methanol, while Kapitan Lus was northbound with aluminium and uranium oxide cargo and had a Danish pilot on board. At about 1310 local time, Sundstraum began making oscillating course changes to starboard and port, and about six minutes later collided with Kapitan Lus. The report did not find a steering-gear defect that explained the oscillations. It concluded that Sundstraum's bridge team was not prepared to handle the unexpected situation, that bridge manning was inadequate for the passage, and that early speed reduction or alternative steering methods were not considered or tried. Sundstraum sustained limited forepeak-tank and bow-section damage. Kapitan Lus sustained damage below the waterline to a starboard wing tank and hold no. 3, with water ingress and list. No injuries, fatalities, or environmental damage were reported.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2009-07-03 about 13:10 local | Sundstraum began making oscillating course changes to starboard and port. |
| 2009-07-03 about 13:16 local | Sundstraum collided with northbound Kapitan Lus at the northern end of the Drogden Channel. |
| 2009-07-03 after the collision | Kapitan Lus developed water ingress and list; the vessels proceeded for damage assessment. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Unexplained steering oscillations | Confirmed finding | Sundstraum's movements oscillated before the collision, but the investigation did not identify a conclusive initiating technical cause. |
| Inadequate bridge manning and teamwork | Confirmed finding | The investigation found weaknesses in bridge manning, communication, and coordination during the passage. |
| Passage-planning weaknesses | Confirmed finding | Planning did not adequately account for the narrow-channel transit and the possibility of steering loss. |
| Limited practical steering-loss preparation | Confirmed finding | The bridge team was not sufficiently prepared to use alternative steering methods or reduce speed promptly. |
Investigation
The Accident Investigation Board Norway investigated the collision and published its report in October 2010. It found no steering-gear defect that explained Sundstraum's oscillating movements, but identified weaknesses in bridge manning, teamwork, passage planning, pilot use, and practical training for steering-loss scenarios. The report leaves the initiating cause of the oscillations unresolved and gives no economic damage estimate.
References
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