What Happened
What Happened
On October 28, 2022, about 0036 local time, the containership MSC Rita and the fishing vessel Tremont were underway in the Atlantic Ocean, 55 miles southeast of Chincoteague, Virginia, when the two vessels collided. The 13 people aboard the Tremont abandoned the vessel and were rescued by Good Samaritan vessels and a US Coast Guard helicopter. No injuries were reported. An oil sheen was reported; a potential of up to 31,000 gallons of diesel fuel were lost with the fishing vessel. Damage to the vessels was estimated at $4.75 million (Tremont) and $1.5 million (MSC Rita).
What We Found
What We Found
We determined that the probable cause of the collision between the containership MSC Rita and the fishing vessel Tremont was the Tremont mate not maintaining a proper lookout and keeping the autopilot engaged while troubleshooting the vessel’s gyrocompass, which resulted in the vessel turning into the path of the MSC Rita.
What We Recommended
Conducting Maintenance on Critical Equipment while Underway
In this casualty, maintenance of the gyrocompass was being conducted while the vessel was underway with its autopilot—which was receiving heading information from the gyrocompass—engaged. Simultaneous operations, often referred to in safety management systems, is a situation where two or more operations occur in the same place at the same time and may interfere with each other. Managing simultaneous operations is an essential element of safety management and safe vessel operation. Before beginning work, mariners should identify hazards associated with working on one piece of equipment that may affect another, such as sensors feeding information to other equipment, and manage those risks to avoid unsafe conditions.
Using VHF-DSC to Communicate Distress
Modern VHF radios are equipped with digital selective calling (DSC). Pressing the VHF-DSC button alerts search and rescue authorities and nearby vessels, and automatically provides the vessel’s position. Time permitting, mariners can also select the nature of distress on the radio and verbally communicate with nearby responders. When a vessel is in distress, mariners should use all available means to signal emergency responders, including VHF-DSC.
