107
Addressing Human Factors in Ship Design
TABLE 7.3
Safety Critical DP Collisions 2001–2010
Collision between ( Vessel)
Date
and (Installation)
Cause and Descriptions
7 March 2004 Far Symphony and West
The vessel was heading toward the installation. The
Venture
officers did not recognize that autopilot was engaged and
could not take over control of the vessel in the safety
zone. Instead, in their attempt to stop the vessel they
increased the speed of Far Symphony hitting West
Venture at 3.7 m/ s.
2 June 2005
Ocean Carrier and Ekofisk The 1st officer navigated the vessel in poor visibility due
2/ 4 P bridge
to fog. The captain entered the bridge with the vessel
passing the safety zone at 10 knots. Misunderstandings
occurred as to who was responsible for navigation. The
captain tried to slow down the vessel when he saw the
platform but it was too late. Ocean Carrier hit the
Ekofisk bridge at 3 m/ s
13 Nov 2006 Navion Hispania (tanker)
The tanker was in preparations to start offloading with the
and Njord B
platform. Polluted fuel and clogged filters caused
blackout, the tanker lost most power but one propeller.
The DP system should be able to handle the situation but
had an unrevealed fault. It was kept in “ Autopos” mode.
The crew tried to avoid collision but the situation
escalated instead. The vessel hit the installation at a
speed of 1.2 m/ s.
18 July 2007 Bourbon Surf and Grane
The platform was identified as a target for the autopilot.
The officers misjudged the ship’s speed and distance to
the platform; they left the bridge and did not keep a
proper lookout. When they returned to the bridge it was
too late to stop the vessel. They managed to reduce the
speed, but Bourbon Surf hit the Grane at slightly less
than 3.5 m/s.
6 June 2009
Big Orange XVIII and
The vessel was heading to the 2/ 4-X platform on the
Ekofisk 2/4 W
Ekofisk to perform well stimulation. The autopilot was
engaged when the vessel entered the safety zone. The
captain could not override the autopilot to control the
vessel. The vessel managed to avoid Ekofisk 2/ 4-X,
2/ 4-C and Flotel COSLRigmar before she finally hit
Ekofisk 2/ 4-W at a speed of 4. 5–4.8 m/ s.
18 Jan 2010
Far Grimshader and Songa The vessel was working on the lee side of the installation
Dee
and was asked to move to the windward side due to the
crane situation on the rig. When maneuvering, the vessel
used extreme amount of power, causing the deck lights to
go out, which the crew interpreted as power supply loss.
The pitch control was then set to zero. The vessel was too
close to the platform; one of the propellers was caught in
a wire attached to the facility’s anchoring. The vessel lost
control and hit the installation repeatedly.
Addressing Human Factors in Ship Design
TABLE 7.3
Safety Critical DP Collisions 2001–2010
Collision between ( Vessel)
Date
and (Installation)
Cause and Descriptions
7 March 2004 Far Symphony and West
The vessel was heading toward the installation. The
Venture
officers did not recognize that autopilot was engaged and
could not take over control of the vessel in the safety
zone. Instead, in their attempt to stop the vessel they
increased the speed of Far Symphony hitting West
Venture at 3.7 m/ s.
2 June 2005
Ocean Carrier and Ekofisk The 1st officer navigated the vessel in poor visibility due
2/ 4 P bridge
to fog. The captain entered the bridge with the vessel
passing the safety zone at 10 knots. Misunderstandings
occurred as to who was responsible for navigation. The
captain tried to slow down the vessel when he saw the
platform but it was too late. Ocean Carrier hit the
Ekofisk bridge at 3 m/ s
13 Nov 2006 Navion Hispania (tanker)
The tanker was in preparations to start offloading with the
and Njord B
platform. Polluted fuel and clogged filters caused
blackout, the tanker lost most power but one propeller.
The DP system should be able to handle the situation but
had an unrevealed fault. It was kept in “ Autopos” mode.
The crew tried to avoid collision but the situation
escalated instead. The vessel hit the installation at a
speed of 1.2 m/ s.
18 July 2007 Bourbon Surf and Grane
The platform was identified as a target for the autopilot.
The officers misjudged the ship’s speed and distance to
the platform; they left the bridge and did not keep a
proper lookout. When they returned to the bridge it was
too late to stop the vessel. They managed to reduce the
speed, but Bourbon Surf hit the Grane at slightly less
than 3.5 m/s.
6 June 2009
Big Orange XVIII and
The vessel was heading to the 2/ 4-X platform on the
Ekofisk 2/4 W
Ekofisk to perform well stimulation. The autopilot was
engaged when the vessel entered the safety zone. The
captain could not override the autopilot to control the
vessel. The vessel managed to avoid Ekofisk 2/ 4-X,
2/ 4-C and Flotel COSLRigmar before she finally hit
Ekofisk 2/ 4-W at a speed of 4. 5–4.8 m/ s.
18 Jan 2010
Far Grimshader and Songa The vessel was working on the lee side of the installation
Dee
and was asked to move to the windward side due to the
crane situation on the rig. When maneuvering, the vessel
used extreme amount of power, causing the deck lights to
go out, which the crew interpreted as power supply loss.
The pitch control was then set to zero. The vessel was too
close to the platform; one of the propellers was caught in
a wire attached to the facility’s anchoring. The vessel lost
control and hit the installation repeatedly.