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Interim report published on grounding incident

An interim report from an ongoing Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation has detailed the sequence of events of the grounding of the 'Hagen OldendorffÄ in a channel while departing Port Hedland, Western Australia on April 9, 2022, as the ship departed its berth at Port Hedland, with a harbour pilot onboard. About 50 minutes after the departure, the ship was sailing through the harbour channel at 6.8 knots, with one tug connected to its stern and two others closely following, when the pilot observed the lighting extinguish on the rudder angle indicators. As the ship had begun to swing to starboard, the pilot ordered port rudder, and the tug connected to the ship’s stern to pull the stern to starboard, to counteract the swing. Recorded data from the ship’s voyage data recorder (VDR) shows the ship subsequently began to swing to port at an increasing rate. To counteract this port swing, the pilot directed the tug to pull the stern to port, but also ordered the ship’s rudder ‘hard to port’. The ship’s master followed this direction, but then queried it after about 30 seconds. Subsequently, the pilot asked for the rudder to be put hard to starboard instead. The rudder angle indicator failure meant the pilot and ship’s crew were unable to ascertain the rudder’s position, or whether it was responding to commands. While the ship’s rate of turn to port reduced after this change, it was not enough to prevent it grounding on the edge of the dredged channel. A post-incident inspection found the tracking motor of the bridge’s omni-directional rudder angle indicator had burnt out, causing a short circuit which tripped the circuit breaker, causing a power outage in all the rudder angle indicators available on the bridge. An underwater hull inspection identified substantial damage, including holes in the ship’s port side and bottom shell plating, and the failure of the transverse bulkhead between the number 1 and 2 port double-bottom water ballast tanks, allowing flooding between them. Temporary repairs were conducted, and on May 18 the ship departed on a direct voyage to its discharge port in China. After discharging, it proceeded to the shipyard in Zhoushan, China, for permanent repairs. Initial notifications of the incident provided to the ATSB stated that the 'Hagen Oldendorff' had had a steering issue due to faulty rudder indicators. In late July, the ATSB was provided with additional information indicating the ship had grounded in the channel, resulting in substantial hull damage. After obtaining further information from Pilbara Ports Authority, Port Hedland Pilots, and the tug providers, ATSB investigators travelled to Port Hedland to interview relevant persons and collect evidence. As the investigation continues, it will include a review of Port Hedland Pilots’ operating procedures, practices and training regime, as well as analysis of the conduct of the pilotage and the effectiveness of bridge resource management. It will also include a review of Pilbara Ports Authority’s policies and procedures, and a review of towage practices and procedures in Port Hedland. Hagen Oldendorff’s steering gear arrangement, controls and indicators will also be assessed, and the ship’s procedures and emergency readiness reviewed. The interim report noted that the Pilbara Ports Authority hasd, since the incident, issued a marine notice requiring that a suitably qualified and competent person stands by in the steering gear room during a ship’s transit of the Port Hedland channel. A final report, which will detail analysis and findings, will be released at the conclusion of the investigation.

ATSB launched investigation into grounding incident

Four months after the grounding of the 'Hagen Oldendorff' in the port of Port Hedland, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has launched a review into the incident that compromised the ship's safety. The investigation had been opened after new information about the April incident was received. According to the ATSB, the 'Hagen Oldendorff' was leaving port on April 9 when it experienced a steering system malfunction and made contact with the edge of the port's navigational channel causing substantial damage to the vessel. The pilot called nearby tugs to assist, and was escorted to anchorage outside of the port while it received repairs. The vessel was reported to be taking water into two ballast tanks, and remained at anchorage off the coast of Port Hedland for more than one month. The Pilbara Ports Authority did not comment on the launch of the investigation. The ATSB's investigation is expected to be completed by Q3 2023 and will include interviewing the pilot of the vessel. The ATSB will publish a final report at the conclusion of the investigation.