Tanker Grounding Linked to ECDIS

Germany's Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) has published its investigation report on the grounding of the LNG tanker Pazifik off Indonesia on July 9, 2018.

The tanker grounded on a shallow between the islands of Komodo and Banda while carrying a cargo of 18,000 tons of ammonia. No cargo escaped, as only the fore peak and ballast water tanks were damaged. 

The vessel was refloated and headed to a shipyard in Singapore under her own power. Approximately 50 meters of her double bottom was replaced during the repair and the rudder, which was damaged in a minor collision with the tug when the ship was refloated, was also repaired.

The investigators found the ship to be in good condition and sufficiently manned with a qualified crew. Work hours and rest periods were adhered to, and no human error was detected. Instead, the accident as ascribed to the ECDIS which was not yet fully developed and approved as the primary aid
to navigation. The BSU compared the vessel's electronic charts with with other sources and found significant differences regarding the display of hazards at the site of the accident.

The report is available at,

https://www.bsu-bund.de/SharedDocs/pdf/EN/Investigation_Report/2020/Investigation_Report_241_18.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=3