Post by Retrovision on Oct 26, 2006 9:53:49 GMT -8
(From: www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2006/10/26/bc-ferries-incident.html)
Super ferry almost ran aground: report
Last Updated: Thursday, October 26, 2006 | 9:58 AM PT
CBC News
A B.C. super ferry veered off course and almost ran aground in the Gulf Islands in 2004 following a series of mistakes on the bridge, says an internal BC Ferries report.
The report obtained by CBC News describes a near crisis aboard the Spirit of British Columbia on Dec. 14, 2004, as it left Active Pass en route to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island.
It says there was confusion on the bridge, as none of the officers had confirmed the setting on the 171-metre ferry's rudder control.
The chief officer didn't realize the huge vessel was on autopilot when he changed the steering mode.
The vessel then veered off course for as long as 40 seconds, almost making a complete circle, coming within 365 metres of Prevost Island.
The report says the captain was unaware of the unfolding crisis until he glanced over his shoulder and saw trees looming. He then cut the speed and turned the vessel hard to starboard.
The Spirit of British Columbia is one
of the two largest vessels in the BC
Ferries fleet.
(BC Ferries)
'Unintended and large deviation'
BC Ferries calls the incident an "unintended and large deviation." BC Ferries' former safety director Darin Bowland calls it a "near miss."
"Another 15 or 20 seconds down that route and they most likely would have put the ship aground. It was that close."
The report's existence came to light last week, mentioned in an affidavit released by Bowland, a document that he had intended to use in a wrongful dismissal suit against BC Ferries.
The company released the results of its internal inquiry to CBC News on Wednesday.
It notes the chief officer, with five years in the job, didn't know how to confirm the autopilot was engaged.
The report says there was a "lack of effective bridge resource management" — the same problem Bowland noted after the Queen of the North sank earlier this year, 15 months after the Spirit of British Columbia incident.
The Queen of the North went down in March after striking rocks on Gil Island south of Prince Rupert. Two passengers are missing and presumed dead.
Copyright © CBC 2006
Super ferry almost ran aground: report
Last Updated: Thursday, October 26, 2006 | 9:58 AM PT
CBC News
A B.C. super ferry veered off course and almost ran aground in the Gulf Islands in 2004 following a series of mistakes on the bridge, says an internal BC Ferries report.
The report obtained by CBC News describes a near crisis aboard the Spirit of British Columbia on Dec. 14, 2004, as it left Active Pass en route to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island.
It says there was confusion on the bridge, as none of the officers had confirmed the setting on the 171-metre ferry's rudder control.
The chief officer didn't realize the huge vessel was on autopilot when he changed the steering mode.
The vessel then veered off course for as long as 40 seconds, almost making a complete circle, coming within 365 metres of Prevost Island.
The report says the captain was unaware of the unfolding crisis until he glanced over his shoulder and saw trees looming. He then cut the speed and turned the vessel hard to starboard.
The Spirit of British Columbia is one
of the two largest vessels in the BC
Ferries fleet.
(BC Ferries)
'Unintended and large deviation'
BC Ferries calls the incident an "unintended and large deviation." BC Ferries' former safety director Darin Bowland calls it a "near miss."
"Another 15 or 20 seconds down that route and they most likely would have put the ship aground. It was that close."
The report's existence came to light last week, mentioned in an affidavit released by Bowland, a document that he had intended to use in a wrongful dismissal suit against BC Ferries.
The company released the results of its internal inquiry to CBC News on Wednesday.
It notes the chief officer, with five years in the job, didn't know how to confirm the autopilot was engaged.
The report says there was a "lack of effective bridge resource management" — the same problem Bowland noted after the Queen of the North sank earlier this year, 15 months after the Spirit of British Columbia incident.
The Queen of the North went down in March after striking rocks on Gil Island south of Prince Rupert. Two passengers are missing and presumed dead.
Copyright © CBC 2006
