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Tugboat captain faulted in accident Coast Guard finds numerous lapses in 2009 grounding on Alaska’s Bligh Reef, well-marked hazard; 6,410 gallons of diesel spilled Wesley Loy For Petroleum News
A U.S. Coast Guard report says the captain of an oil industry tugboat that ran aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound broke company policies and was playing a video game at the time of the mishap.
The 136-foot Pathfinder, with a crew of six, hit Bligh Reef on 6:15 p.m. Dec. 23, 2009. The vessel stayed afloat, but the impact ruptured fuel tanks and 6,410 gallons of diesel spilled, forcing a massive cleanup.
Bligh Reef is notorious as the well-marked navigational hazard the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck in 1989, spilling nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil.
The Pathfinder is part of Crowley Maritime Corp.’s fleet of tanker escort and ship assist tugs stationed at Valdez, terminus of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.
The tug was not escorting a tanker at the time of the grounding. Rather, it had been out scouting for drifting ice in the shipping lanes, and was heading back to port.
What happened The Coast Guard report says the captain of the Pathfinder, Ronald Eugene Monsen, had just changed course and sped up the tug, doing so without verifying the position of the vessel. He then turned to a computer to play video games, his back to the forward bridge window.
Monsen “deliberately violated company policy and used the vessel’s computer to play hearts or other games, directly after changing course and speed. The Master’s actions left the vessel’s position unknown, other than an assumption made by the Master on the vessel’s previous course,” the report says.
The captain and the second mate, whose name was blacked out, each believed the other “had the conn” at the time of the grounding, the Coast Guard report says.
The second mate had a history of involvement in prior incidents, and failed to inform the Pathfinder’s captain of possible danger after the mate looked but was unable to find Bligh Reef Light, either visually or with radar, the report says.
Highly experienced captain Monsen had 33 years in the industry, had worked on the Pathfinder for more than 10 years, and was planning to retire within eight months, the report says.
The captain took ill-advised action to remove the tug from the reef, taking it from there to an anchorage at Busby Island, says the report.
The captain believed if it stayed on the reef, the vessel maybe couldn’t be refloated. But removing the tug caused additional damage to the hull, the Coast Guard investigation found.
Monsen told investigators he suffered from constant stress because his wife was disabled and home by herself in Anchorage, the report says.
Investigators found the captain made a number of errors: He failed to verify his position, failed to chart his intended course home, failed to make clear who was controlling the boat, and improperly used a computer on the bridge to play games.
“Company policy requires the full attention of the bridge crew while navigating,” the report says.
Monsen and the second mate were immediately suspended after the accident, and following Crowley’s internal investigation both were fired, Charlie Nalen, Crowley’s vice president of Valdez operations, told Petroleum News by e-mail.
The Coast Guard also investigated the performance of its Valdez Vessel Traffic Center, which can track the movements of tankers, tugs and other vessels.
The center “operated in conformity with applicable requirements and regulations and was not a contributing factor to this mishap,” the report says.
Changes made, tug decommissioned The report indicates the Coast Guard gathered evidence to pursue enforcement actions against the captain and Crowley.
“Crowley management is responsible for the corporate culture where complacency is discouraged and robust bridge resource practices are encouraged,” the report says.
“Crowley fully cooperated with the Coast Guard and received safety recommendations during and following their investigation,” Nalen said. “All of these recommendations together with those from Crowley’s internal investigation were included in a Safety Management Plan. This Plan was developed to address recommended operational improvements for continued safety of people, property and the environment in Valdez and Prince William Sound and has been fully implemented.”
As part of the plan, “a Bridge Resource Management training program was developed together with AVTEC in Seward for all of our navigation watch officers,” Nalen said.
Crowley paid a civil penalty for the spilled diesel, he said, adding: “The Pathfinder was decommissioned and is currently moored in Seattle and for sale.”
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