What Happened
What Happened
On September 12, 2023, about 0641 local time, the towing vessel John 3:16 was transiting the Lower Mississippi River near Saint Rose, Louisiana, when the vessel contacted an industrial cargo pier. No pollution or injuries were reported. The final cost to repair the damages to the towing vessel and pier was $285,441.
What We Found
What We Found
We determined that the probable cause of the contact of the John 3:16 with an industrial cargo pier was the pilot falling asleep while navigating due to an accumulated sleep debt. Contributing to the pilot’s fatigue was cell phone use during off-watch time, which significantly limited the pilot’s opportunity for sleep.
What We Recommended
Maximizing Sleep during Off-watch Rest Periods
Fatigue is often a factor in casualties investigated by the NTSB. Fatigue affects all aspects of human performance, including decision-making, alertness, and reaction time, all of which affect a mariner’s ability to safely navigate a vessel. Mariners should understand the performance effects of sleep loss and recognize the dangers of working on board a vessel while fatigued. Individuals typically require 8 hours of quality sleep each 24-hour period to avoid the performance effects of fatigue. A sleep deficit of as little as 2 hours can result in performance decrements caused by acute sleep loss. Obtaining quality, uninterrupted sleep on board a vessel is often challenging due to shipboard environmental factors and external distractions such as cell phones. It is important that mariners get enough sleep during each off-watch period, so they remain alert when assuming watch.
