Marine Casualty Board hearing in Port Arthur

Captains

It's sobering, but informative to follow a formal Coast Guard marine board of investigation. This one began 3 days ago. Key witnesses have already testified. The purpose of the hearing is to determine the facts, identify the cause, and recommend improvements for ship safety, navigation, and the waterway.

RDML W

PORT ARTHUR, Texas – The Coast Guard concluded the second day of formal hearings, Wednesday, concerning the Jan. 23, 2010, incident involving the tank vessel Eagle Otome, the Gull Arrow and the tug Dixie Vengeance. The incident resulted in more than 400,000 gallons of oil being spilled into the Sabine-Neches waterway.

Summary:

• The Coast Guard introduced 16 exhibits.
• The National Transportation Safety Board introduced one exhibit.
• Vessel Traffic Service Training Director Scott Whalen testified and answered questions after an audio recording of ship-to-ship radio communication between the Eagle Otome and the Dixie Vengeance was played.
• Each mariner involved provided sworn statements on their training, experience, position at the time of the incident and rest prior to the incident.
• Pallava Shukla, master of the Eagle Otome, discussed the status of the vessel’s equipment and weather conditions during the transit up to the point of the accident.
• A.T.K.M. Shahjalall, chief engineer of the Eagle Otome, testified concerning the status of the ships machinery before and after the incident. He reported no alarms other than the emergency stop alarm sounded and that the ship’s systems were performing satisfactorily after the incident.
• Captain Charles Bancroft, the Sabine pilot who had control of the ship at the time of the incident, spoke about weather conditions and visibility. The master-to-pilot exchange was also discussed.
• Various media reports have circulated stating that strong winds and poor visibility contributed to the accident. The Coast Guard would like to stress that the “poor visibility” and the “strong winds” mentioned in the testimony occurred prior to the incident and were not present at the time of the incident.
Captain David Borden, a Sabine 2nd pilot, stated that he did not have the conn and made no radio calls to notify other vessels the Eagle Otome was out of control.
Peter Chua, the Eagle Otome’s 3rd officer, stated that the engine order telegraph worked properly and that the vessel’s master took control of the telegraph in the final minutes before the incident.
Captain Lex Wimberley, master of the Dixie Vengeance, stated that he put the vessel into astern propulsion when he heard the danger signal from the Eagle Otome. He also stated that he saw the Eagle Otome’s anchor drop, and that radio calls made to the ship were unanswered.
Drew Cary, the tankerman on the Dixie Vengeance, reported being in the galley and alerted to a problem by the general alarm. He stated that he went outside and heard the danger signal of the Dixie Vengeance, and that he heard the Dixie Vengeance engines switch to astern propulsion while the alarms were sounding.