The Herald

Crashed ferry lost control due to screw fixture failure

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LUCINDA CAMERON

for the actuator were not included in the system’s engineerin­g manuals provided by RR Marine that were carried on board Hebrides.

RR Marine had also not issued any informatio­n regarding the maintenanc­e or inspection of the actuator.

The MAIB report said: “The absence of service instructio­ns for the actuator’s inspection and maintenanc­e that were available from its manufactur­er was pivotal to the failure.”

It has issued a recommenda­tion to Rolls-Royce Marine aimed at ensuring service instructio­ns are made available to service engineers and in documentat­ion provided to vessels.

The MAIB has also recommende­d CalMac Ferries Ltd ensure recommenda­tions for safety critical system upgrades received from manufactur­ers are properly documented and processed and that its crews are better prepared to deal effectivel­y with propulsion failures.

CalMac has issued a technical bulletin to its major vessels that requires all propulsion controls, including emergency controls, at all stations to be tested regularly and it has conducted its own investigat­ion of the incident.

Rolls-Royce Marine has issued a service letter to all users of the HeliconX propulsion control systems and a service procedure for the linear servomotor.

A CalMac spokesman said: “We note the MAIB’s report, which largely confirms the findings of our own investigat­ion into the incident.

“Since the grounding in September last year we have put in place a number of processes to mitigate the issues raised and will continue to monitor these areas to ensure our procedures meet the highest possible standards and give our customers assurance that we take their safety very seriously.” TWINS Emelia and Elliot Goodall have settled happily into life at home after being born 13 weeks early.

Their mother, Victoria, was admitted to hospital when midwives spotted the heart rate in one of the babies was slowing down when she was just

27 weeks’ pregnant.

Her husband, Ben, a Royal Navy officer, was on

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