What Happened
What Happened
On August 25, 2023, about 1012 local time, the multi-purpose carrier BBC Africa lost primary steering as it was departing the Manchester Terminal on the Houston Ship Channel in Houston, Texas, and struck the moored bulk carrier Common Faith. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to the vessels was estimated at $1.1 million.
What We Found
What We Found
We determined that the probable cause of the collision of the multi-purpose carrier BBC Africa with the bulk carrier Common Faith was the BBC Africa’s loss of the primary steering control system due to a steering control system component failure. Contributing to the collision was the delayed response from the ship’s crew to implement the emergency steering procedure from the bridge.
What We Recommended
Training for Steering Control System Failures
Steering control system failures can result in damaging consequences. In channels or during maneuvering, where immediate hazards (grounding, traffic, objects) are in proximity and therefore response time is critical to avoiding a casualty, steering system failure contingencies require immediate crew response. Training in steering recovery procedures, including scenario-based drills for bridge and engine teams, is critical to ensure crews can respond in the shortest possible time.
