NTSB to investigate Wind Walker tragedy

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate and determine the probable cause of the deadly Wind Walker sinking, the agency announced.

The U.S. Coast Guard will lead the investigation into the casualty, which resulted in five deaths. Two bodies have been recovered.

The boat reportedly was heading out in poor weather to fish for halibut and black cod.

The NTSB has set up a webpage for the Wind Walker case.

Trident's $56.6 million fire

A National Transportation Safety Board report says the probable cause of the fire aboard the Trident Seafoods factory trawler Kodiak Enterprise was "an unknown electrical source within the dry stores room."

The dry stores room was in the bow just forward of the galley.

The devastating fire broke out in April 2023 while the vessel was docked in Tacoma.

The Kodiak Enterprise was declared a total loss and had an estimated value of $56.6 million, the NTSB report says.

Disaster in Tacoma

The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the cause of the fire that ravaged the Trident Seafoods factory trawler Kodiak Enterprise while moored in Tacoma, the latest incident update says. This photo, from the Washington State Department of Ecology, is cropped tight to show the extensive fire damage across the listing 262-foot vessel. Click on the image to enlarge.

Why did Trident's Aleutian Falcon burn?

The National Transportation Safety Board today released a marine investigation report on the fire last year aboard the Trident Seafoods processing vessel Aleutian Falcon.

"Inadequate planning for hot work" led to the fire, the NTSB says.

How the Moonlight Maid met her demise

Here's a marine accident brief from the National Transportation Safety Board on the sinking of the salmon tender Moonlight Maid.

The boat was transiting from Seward to Kodiak in heavy seas on Sept. 20, 2012, when she "sprung a plank and began flooding," the report says.

The crew of four abandoned ship into a life raft, and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hoisted them to safety.

The NTSB report says "inadequate maintenance of the aging wooden vessel," a former Navy subchaser built in 1942, contributed to the hull failure.

A very interesting report here, with excellent photos.

Quick hits

Here's a few noteworthy items I couldn't get posted yesterday.

Are those reports of a virus outbreak in Canada's wild salmon bogus?

Citing the chronic high death rate of commercial fishermen, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending crewmen wear a "flotation aid" at all times while on deck. Vessel owners, be sure to check out the other NTSB recommendations.

The Department of Fish and Game has posted a preliminary tally of the dockside value of this year's Alaska salmon harvest: $603 million. That's about the same as last year's adjusted value of $605 million.

The National Marine Fisheries Service has posted a draft assessment of the eastern Bering Sea pollock stock, and the numbers suggest we'll see a lower catch limit in 2012. The best reading is on pages 22-23. Deckboss tips his cap to KUCB radio at Dutch Harbor for breaking the story.

NTSB report examines cause of Katmai tragedy

The National Transportation Safey Board has posted its report on the October 2008 sinking of the cod boat Katmai in Aleutian waters, killing seven crewmen. Here's the conclusion:

Probable cause

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the sinking of the Katmai was the loss of the vessel's watertight integrity because watertight doors from the main deck to the processing space and the lazarette were left open by the crew at a time when the vessel was overloaded and navigating in severe weather, which allowed water to enter the vessel resulting in progressive flooding and sinking. Contributing to the accident was the master's decision to continue fishing operations during the approach of severe weather rather than seeking shelter and to load twice the amount of cargo addressed in the vessel's stability report. Also contributing to the accident was the owner's failure to ensure that the stability information provided to the master was current and that the master understood it and operated the vessel accordingly.

The report's accident narrative makes for some riveting reading, unfortunately.

The NTSB report follows the U.S. Coast Guard investigative report released last year.

NTSB findings, recommendations now available

A view of the Alaska Ranger's stern, including rudders, as she sat in a Japanese drydock in 2007. USCG photo

Here is the National Transportation Safety Board's probable cause statement for the Easter 2008 sinking of the Bering Sea trawler Alaska Ranger:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the sinking of the Alaska Ranger was uncontrolled, progressive flooding due to a lack of internal watertight integrity and to a breach of the hull’s watertight envelope, likely caused by a physical rudder loss. Contributing to the loss of life was the vessel’s movement astern, which likely accelerated the flooding and caused the liferafts to swing out of reach of many crewmembers.

Click here to read the agency's 20-point conclusion plus safety recommendations.

Report: Rudder fell off doomed trawler

The National Transportation Safety Board has just wrapped up its meeting in Washington, D.C., and adopted findings that the Alaska Ranger flooded and sank after losing a rudder, a rare event.

The board also adopted a slate of recommendations urging Congress to toughen fishing vessel safety inspections, and encouraging the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to remove potential regulatory barriers to replacing old boats.

The NTSB soon is expected to post a probable cause statement, findings and recommendations here.

NTSB to reveal findings in Alaska Ranger tragedy

The Alaska Ranger in drydock in 2007 in Japan. USCG photo

Sounds like federal investigators today might tell us the cause of the Easter 2008 sinking of the trawler Alaska Ranger, which killed five crewmen.

Here's a media advisory the National Transportation Safety Board sent out last week:

National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, D.C.

Sept. 25, 2009

NTSB TO MEET ON ALASKA RANGER SINKING OFF ALASKA COAST

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., in its Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. There is one agenda item.

On March 23, 2008, the Alaska Ranger, a fish processing vessel, owned by Fishing Company of Alaska, sank in the Bering Sea, 120 nautical miles west of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Five of the 47 persons aboard the Alaska Ranger died. The wreckage lies at the bottom of the sea and was not examined.

A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be available on the Board's website at http://ntsb.gov/events/Boardmeeting.htm. Technical support details are available under "Board Meetings" on the NTSB website. To report any problems, please call 703-993-3100 and ask for Webcast Technical Support.

A summary of the Board's final report, which will include findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of the meeting. The entire report will appear on the website several weeks later.