ELKA APOLLON

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Human error blamed for collision on Houston Ship Channel

US investigators believe human error is the underlying cause of the collision between the "Elka Apollon" and the "MSC Nederland" on Oct 29, 2011, in the Houston Ship Channel. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Sep 25, 2012, placed much of the blame on the pilot of the "Elka Apollon". The agency said the probable cause was “the inappropriate response of the pilot of the 'Elka Apollon' to changes in bank effect forces as the vessel transited the Bayport flare, causing the vessel to sheer across the channel and into the 'MSC Nederland'”. The NTSB believed also other factors like traffic density, the width of the waterway, vessel speed and inadequate communication between the tanker and a nearby tug played a role. The "Elka Apollon" was travelling outbound and sustained damage in an area near its port bow from the crash and falling containers while the inbound "MSC Nederland" took the brunt of the blow portside at the main deck level in the vicinity of its superstructure. The containership's rescue boat was torn from its secured position and set adrift during the accident but no injuries or significant levels of pollution were reported aside from a small spill caused by hydraulic fluid that leaked from tractor equipment in a container. In an earlier NTSB report, authorities said that prior to the collision pilots onboard both vessels agreed via VHF radio to a port-to-port passing right before the Mr Earl, pushing a fuel barge, exited the Bayport ship channel off the tanker's starboard side. "The pilot on the 'Elka Apollon' issued commands to avoid the towboat and barge with left rudder orders and in so doing set the tanker on a heading across and to the left in the channel," officials said at that time. The conning pilot on the tanker tried to regain control of the vessel with a hard starboard rudder order in an effort to avoid the "MSC Nederland", which took evasive action of its own, but ultimately the vessels still collided in spite of the efforts of both pilots. The NTSB said damage was estimated at $1.5m for the aframax and $1.3m for the panamax and, looking forward, urged the US Coast Guard to develop and implement a policy to ensure mariners are aware of precautionary areas on the Houston Ship Channel. A formal report will be published shortly. Drugs and alcohol, weather, aids to navigation, vessel propulsion and steering systems were not found to be factors in the accident.

Preliminary report on Houston Ship Channel collision

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a Preliminary Report concerning the October 29, 2011 collision between the chemical tanker Elka Apollon and the container ship Nederland in the Houston Ship Channel. The collision occurred when the chemical tanker changed course to avoid a towboat and fuel barge that were entering the Houston ship channel. Read further on: http://www.safety4sea.com/page/7694/5/preliminary-report-on-houston-ship-channel-collision-

Removal of containers suspended

Marine salvage contractors have have suspended operations for the removal of damaged containers aboard the "Elka Apollon" on Nov 3, 2011. Removal of damaged containers aboard the "MSC Nederland" was completed Nov 2 and salvage experts had planned on removing the remaining containers aboard the "Elka Apollon" the following day, but due to high winds operations were put on standby as the Coast Guards number one priority is the safety of the responders. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston received a report at approximately 9:47 a.m. on Oct 29 that the "MSC Nederland" and "Elka Apollon" collided near the Bayport Ship Channel and Houston Ship Channel intersection. Three containers fell from the "MSC Nederland" onto the deck of the "Elka Apollon". One of the containers, containing tractor equipment, leaked a small amount of hydraulic fluid onto the deck. The ship channels are still open to traffic. There were no reported injuries and the Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.