1. Report No. NTSB-MAR-79-3 TECHNICAL REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 3. Recipient's Catalog No. 2.Government Accession No. 4. Title and Subtitle Marine Accident Report Collision 9. Performing Organization Name and Address National Transportation Safety Board 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD 15. Supplementary Notes 5. Report Date February 26, 1979 6.Performing Organization Code 8. Performing Organization Report No. 10.Work Unit No. 2569A 11.Contract or Grant No. 13. Type of Report and Marine Accident Report 14.Sponsoring Agency Code 16.Abstract At 2107 e.d.t. on October 20, 1978, the Argentine freighter M/V SANTA CRUZ II and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter CUYAHOGA collided in the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Potomac River, Maryland. As a result of the collision, the CUYAHOGA sank. Eleven Coast Guardsmen were killed; 18 Coast Guardsmen were rescued by the SANTA CRUZ II which experienced minor damage. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the left turn executed by the CUYAHOGA, while in proximity to the SANTA CRUZ II, contrary to the Rules of the Road as the vessels were meeting head and head, the failure of the Commanding Officer of the CUYAHOGA to determine the relative motion, course, speed, or closest point of approach of the SANTA CRUZ II, and the failure of the CUYAHOGA to initiate bridge-to-bridge communications by radiotelephone to exchange navigational information. Contributing to the loss of life was the lack of emergency lighting aboard the CUYAHOGA. 17. Key Words Collision; U.S. Coast Guard Cutter; freighter; 19. Security Classification 20. Security Classification UNCLASSIFIED NTSB Form 1765.2 (Rev. 9/74) (of this page) 18.Distribution Statement This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, 21.No. of Pages 22. Price 49 NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD WASHINGTON, D. C. 20594 MARINE ACCIDENT REPORT Adopted: February 26, 1979 COLLISION OF ARGENTINE FREIGHTER M/V SANTA CRUZ II IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AT THE MOUTH OF THE POTOMAC RIVER, MARYLAND INTRODUCTION This accident was investigated jointly by the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Coast Guard. A U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation was convened in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 24, 1978, reconvened in Yorktown, Virginia, on November 6, 1978, and reconvened in Norfolk, Virginia, on November 13, 1978. A Safety Board Deposition Hearing was held on February 9, 1979. This report is based on the factual information developed by this investigation. The Safety Board has considered all facts pertinent to the Safety Board's statutory responsibility to determine the cause or probable cause of the accident and to make recommendations. The Safety Board's recommendations are made independently of any recommendations proposed by the Coast Guard. To insure public knowledge of all Safety Board recommendations and responses by the Coast Guard, all such recommendations and responses are published in the Federal Register. SYNOPSIS At 2107 e.d.t. on October 20, 1978, the Argentine freighter M/V SANTA CRUZ II and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter CUYAHOGA collided in the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Potomac River, Maryland. As a result of the collision, the CUYAHOGA sank. Eleven Coast Guardsmen were killed; 18 Coast Guardsmen were rescued by the SANTA CRUZ II which experienced minor damage. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the left turn executed by the CUYAHOGA, while in proximity to the SANTA CRUZ II, contrary to the Rules of the Road as the vessels were meeting head and head, the failure of the Commanding Officer of the CUYAHOGA to determine the relative motion, course, speed, or closest point of approach of the SANTA CRUZ II, and the failure of the CUYAHOGA to initiate bridge-to-bridge communications by radiotelephone to exchange navigational information. Contributing to the loss of life was the lack of emergency lighting aboard the CUYAHOGA. INVESTIGATION The Accident On October 20, 1978, the Argentine freighter M/V SANTA CRUZ II was southbound in the Chesapeake Bay at 13.5 kns on course 163° T approaching the traffic separation lanes off Smith Point, Virginia. On the bridge was the pilot, the master, chief officer, helmsman, and lookout. The night was clear with good visibility and the sea was calm; the moon had not yet risen. The pilot of the freighter testified that at 2048 1/ he saw a red side light and one white light of a northbound vessel (later identified as U.S. Coast Guard Cutter CUYAHOGA) about 8 nmi away, 10° off the port bow, in the northbound traffic lane. The pilot determined that the two vessels were in a head-and-head meeting situation and estimated that a normal port-to-port passage would take place at about 1,000 yds; therefore, he decided not to initiate any bridge-to-bridge radiotelephone communications. The pilot of the freighter did not plot the relative motion or determine the course, speed, or closest point of approach of the CUYAHOGA nor did he request any crewmember of the SANTA CRUZ II to perform these tasks. As the two vessels closed, the pilot did not make any bridge-tobridge radiotelephone contact with the CUYAHOGA nor did he give any whistle signals. About 2104, the pilot saw the northbound vessel turn to port and the pilot testified that he sounded a one-blast whistle indicating that the SANTA CRUZ II would maintain course and speed in accordance with the "Inland Rules" and the "Pilot Rules for Inland Waters" for a crossing situation. According to the pilot, the CUYAHOGA was about 2,000 yds away, 20° off the freighter's port bow, at that time. The pilot said he did not hear an answering whistle. About 30 seconds later, when the pilot saw that the CUYAHOGA was not changing course or speed, the pilot sounded another one-blast signal, with the CUYAHOGA less than 1,000 yds away, and immediately afterwards, sounded a five-blast danger signal. Up until this time, the pilot stated that he had no choice under the "Inland Rules" and the "Pilot Rules for Inland Waters" but to hold course and speed, even though there was a risk of collision. After waiting a few seconds, the pilot sounded another five-blast danger signal, ordered the engines stopped, and ordered the rudder hard left to attempt to pass astern of the CUYAHOGA. At the same time as the pilot spoke in English, the master of the SANTA CRUZ II, speaking in Spanish, ordered the rudder hard left and the master personally placed the engine telegraph in the stop position. 1/ All times herein are eastern daylight based on the 24-hour clock. |