The uninspected fishing vessel Advantage was on a routine transit from Kodiak harbor, Alaska, to fishing grounds off the southern coast of Kodiak Island with a load of empty cod pots when it sank about 14 nautical miles southwest of Cape Barnabas at 0030 on August 31, 2012.
A Coast Guard rescue helicopter retrieved three of the four crewmembers. One was never found and was presumed dead, and the vessel’s captain later died. About 3,453 gallons of diesel fuel were on board the vessel when it sank.
We determined that the probable cause of the capsizing and sinking of the fishing vessel Advantage was a severe heel to port, followed by immediate downflooding. The reason for the vessel’s loss of stability could not be determined.
