UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch – container vessel/tanker collision investigation report

(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued the report of its investigation on the collision between the container ship Ever Smart and the tanker Alexandra 1 on 11 February 2015 in Jebel Ali, UAE.

A harbor pilot was transferring from the outbound container ship to the inbound tanker when the ships collided at the entrance to the port’s approach channel. Neither vessel was properly monitoring the other’s position and movements.

The collision resulted from several factors. In particular, a passing arrangement was not agreed or promulgated and the actions of both masters were based on assumptions.

Alexandra 1 was unnecessarily close to the channel entrance and the tanker’s master acted on scanty VHF radio information.

In addition, Ever Smart’s bridge team did not keep a proper lookout or monitor the tanker’s movement. They only realised that Alexandra 1 was close ahead seconds before the collision when alerted by the port control.

The accident occurred within Jebel Ali’s port limits. The precautions of pilotage and the port’s vessel traffic service, which would normally co-ordinate and de-conflict the movements of vessels in the port area, were ineffective on this occasion.

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