Cruise ship errors serious, says TAIC
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) says four recent errors in shipping navigation have prompted them to add the issue to its watchlist.
They include the passenger vessel, L’Austral, grounding at Milford Sound in February 2017, the same vessel making contact with rocks on Snares Islands a month earlier, and the passenger ship, Azamara Quest, making contact with Wheki Rock in Tory Channel in January.
While none of the errors in piloted waters resulted in loss of life, serious injury or damage, all of the incidents could have had ‘‘severe consequences’’ TAIC chief commissioner Jane Meares said.
‘‘Errors in navigation in pilotage waters carry the risk of serious consequences for people, the environment, and the economy.’’
TAIC created a new watchlist item to focus the attention of regulators, operators, and training providers on solving the problem, she said.
Pilotage waters are largely areas where a ship must use the services of a maritime pilot, who is an experienced and skilled sailor with detailed knowledge of a particular waterway.
‘‘The common thread in these incidents is poor application of an international standard for safe navigation of a ship,’’ Meares said.
‘‘The phenomenon of the team on a ship’s bridge not applying an international standard is a safety issue of serious concern; it demands immediate attention.’’
Meares said if one of the cruise ships had sunk there could have been significant loss of life.
Further consequences included risk to the environment of oil spills, and negative impacts on the economy, she said.