WASHINGTON (October 27, 2026) — The National Transportation Safety Board issued six recommendations Tuesday to improve the perceptibility and safe operations of uncrewed surface vessels, or USV, following its investigation of a 2024 vessel collision on Lake Erie.
On Aug. 10, 2024, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab SeaTrac SP-48 uncrewed surface vessel and a privately-owned Prestige 450 Flybridge recreational vessel collided near Monroe, Michigan. The USV became entangled in the recreational vessel’s starboard propeller pod. Both vessels were towed together to a nearby marina and later separated.
The NTSB found that the 15.7-foot-long USV was difficult for other mariners to see because only about a foot of its hull was visible above the water. Additionally, it is unlikely that the USV would be perceived electronically (radar or automatic identification system) by the recreational vessels typically operating in the area. The NTSB recommended SeaTrac Systems Inc., the manufacturer of the USV, modify its design to improve the vessel’s perceptibility.
The NTSB also recommended NOAA revise its internal policies to ensure its USVs are perceptible and require testing to verify that each vessel can be adequately detected by operators of other vessels typically found in the USV’s area of operation.
At the time of the collision, NOAA was operating the USV in “adapted hold” mode, which allowed the vessel to automatically return to preset waypoints if it drifted beyond a 150-foot radius established by its remote pilot. The pilot passively monitored the vessel from ashore while the system maintained its waypoints. The NTSB determined that this level of monitoring was insufficient for safe operation in an area frequented by recreational vessels.
The NTSB recommended NOAA require monitoring of its USVs at a level commensurate with the USV’s actual level of autonomy, taking into account the vessel’s operating area and mode of operation.
The investigation also found that, at the time of the collision, there were no industry-wide standards specifically addressing the perceptibility, collision-avoidance capabilities and navigational safety of USVs operating in U.S. inland and territorial waters.
“As USVs become more commonplace in U.S. waterways, it is critical for the Coast Guard to begin to set standards and policies for these vessels,” the report said.
The NTSB recommended the U.S. Coast Guard develop and issue a national framework of perceptibility, collision avoidance capability and navigational safety standards for USVs and incorporate these standards into regulations.
Recreational vessel and USV hauled out of the water, with the USV split into two large pieces and entangled in the recreational vessel’s starboard pod. (Source: Monroe County Sheriff)
One minor injury was reported as a result of the collision. The USV was considered a total constructive loss, with an estimated value of $186,000. Damage to the recreational vessel was estimated at $100,000.
Marine Investigation Report 26-32 and the safety recommendations are available online.
To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).
