On May 27, 2022, about 1435, the offshore supply vessel Ocean Guardian was conducting sea trials in Shilshole Bay near Seattle, Washington, when its no. 3 main diesel generator engine suffered a mechanical failure that resulted in a fire in the engine room. The crew extinguished the fire before it could spread throughout the vessel. There were no injuries reported for the 22 crewmembers and contractors on board, and there was no pollution reported. Damage to the Ocean Guardian totaled an estimated $1.1 million.
We determined that the probable cause of the mechanical failure of the no. 3 main engine and resulting fire aboard the offshore supply vessel Ocean Guardian was the replacement of a crankshaft main bearing with an incorrectly sized bearing during an engine overhaul due to the engine service technicians not identifying the removed bearing’s part number, which resulted in the loss of lube oil pressure in adjacent connecting rod bearings.
