Photo of GH Storm Cat moored in Cork, Ireland, before the accident.

​GH Storm Cat moored in Cork, Ireland, before the accident. (Source: Joe Moore)​

Contact of Bulk Carrier GH Storm Cat’s Crane with Zen-Noh Grain Facility

What Happened

​​On November 11, 2020, about 0910 local time, the bulk carrier GH Storm Cat’s no. 1 crane boom contacted the Zen-Noh Grain Corporation facility in Convent, Louisiana, while the crew was completing corn-loading operations. The vessel was moored starboard side to with a crew of 19. No pollution or injuries were reported. The vessel’s crane was undamaged; damage to the shoreside conveyor gallery was estimated to be $481,006.

What We Found

​The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the GH Storm Cat’s crane contact with the Zen-Noh grain facility runway was the absence of a dedicated signalman, which led to the ship’s crane operator’s misjudgment of the location of the crane boom while lowering the payloader to the pier.​

Lessons Learned

​​Vessel Crane Operations

All ships’ crane lifts—no matter how routine—should be adequately planned and risk-assessed. All personnel involved in the lifting operation should be clearly identified and their duties understood before the start of the lift.  ​

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