Marine Casualty Investigation in Valencia

Case details:

Service: Marine Casualty Investigation
Vessel: General Cargo Vessel / Container Ship
Location: Valencia, Spain
Incident: Collision at anchorage
Principal: Owners / P&I interests

Overview

A marine casualty investigation was carried out following a collision between two commercial vessels at the Valencia anchorage during adverse weather conditions.
The investigation focused on establishing the sequence of events and assessing the technical and operational circumstances surrounding the casualty. The attendance included onboard evidence collection, review of bridge and engine-room records, available operational data and relevant vessel documentation, together with interviews with the Master and Chief Engineer.
Particular attention was given to the vessel’s anchoring arrangements, anchor chain condition, machinery readiness, bridge and engine-room watchkeeping, prevailing environmental conditions and the vessel’s response following the incident.
The available evidence was analysed to reconstruct the casualty and identify the technical and operational factors relevant to the occurrence.

KEY OBSERVATION

Marine casualty investigations require the correlation of physical evidence, vessel records, crew statements, environmental conditions and the sequence of events to assess the technical and operational factors surrounding an incident.

Engine control room reviewed during casualty investigation — Engine-room arrangements and operational records were reviewed during the investigation.

Collision damage inspected during marine casualty investigation — Collision damage documented during the casualty investigation.

Vessel bridge inspected during marine casualty investigation — Bridge and navigational arrangements reviewed as part of the investigation.

Main engine inspected during marine casualty investigation — Main propulsion arrangements were considered as part of the casualty investigation.