[C320-list] New York Harbor Grounding

[John Frost]

This accident report may go to show that even well prepared crews can run
into trouble

 

Best Regards,

John 

 
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Washington, DC -- The National Transportation Safety Board today determined
that the probable cause of the grounding of the New Delhi Express was the
error of the docking pilot in not using all available resources to determine
the vessel's position as he navigated the Kill Van Kull waterway.  

 

Contributing to the cause of the grounding was the failure of both pilots to
practice good bridge resource management. 

 

"This accident could have been prevented if previously issued safety
recommendations regarding bridge resource management had been implemented,"
said NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker.  "Since 1974, the Safety Board has
investigated numerous accidents where the officers on the bridge and pilots
failed to function as a team and we have issued numerous recommendations to
prevent these types of accidents."  

  

On April 15, 2006, the container ship New Delhi Express arrived at the
entrance of New York Harbor after a transatlantic voyage.  Aboard the vessel
were a master, 21 crewmembers, three passengers, and a Sandy Hook pilot.  A
docking pilot boarded the vessel near Kill Van Kull and assumed the
navigational control.  The ship was traveling westbound in zero visibility
fog when it struck a submerged ledge, took on water through a hull breach
caused by the impact and ran aground in the waterway.  At the time of the
accident, the docking pilot was navigating the vessel.  Two of the three
tugs assisting the ship were also damaged.  

There were no fatalities or injuries.        

 

As a result of this accident, the safety Board made the following
recommendations:

 

        To the U.S. Coast Guard:

1. Use the circumstances of this accident related to the improper
redeployment of buoy 14 in Kill Van Kull waterway as a "lesson learned" and
disseminate the information to appropriate personnel, emphasizing the need
to verify all buoy positioning data during routine position checks and
during buoy redeployments.  

 

To State Commissions whose harbor pilots work with docking pilots:

2. Require your harbor and docking pilots to take part in recurrent joint
training exercises that emphasize the concept and 

procedures of bridge resource management. 

            

A synopsis of the Board's report, including the probable cause and
recommendations, is available on the Board's website, www.ntsb.gov, under
"Board Meetings." The Board's full report will be available on the website
in several weeks.