Written by
Marine Log Workers
Picture: NTSB
An engine room fireplace aboard the 600-foot lengthy tanker Endo Breeze that resulted in $1.2 million damages was the results of a upkeep error, the Nationwide Transportation Security Board mentioned Thursday.
The incident occurred on April 29, 2022, when the 2003-built, Maltese-flagged, Endo Breeze, was transiting outbound via the Raritan Bay West Attain channel close to Staten Island, New York, when oil spray from a gasoline injector pump on the starboard foremost engine ignited off close by sizzling surfaces, inflicting a hearth.
The crew of the Endo Breeze contained the unfold of the fireplace by eradicating gasoline and oxygen sources, and activating the vessel’s mounted fireplace extinguishing system
The vessel was powered by two 8-cylinder MaK M-32 C, medium-speed diesel engines and to find out the reason for the oil spray, investigators examined the starboard engine’s no. 1 cylinder gasoline injector pump and found a slight offset on the banjo tube meeting. Investigators decided it’s doubtless that the engineer didn’t appropriately comply with the producer’s process for gasoline injector pump reassembly when performing upkeep a day earlier than the fireplace.
The NTSB has investigated a number of latest casualties involving mechanical or gasoline line becoming failures that led to engine fires following upkeep of shipboard diesel engines. The Endo Breeze’s engine room fireplace reveals what can occur when gear producers’ advisable upkeep procedures aren’t adopted.
“On this case, not following the tightening sequence described within the diesel engine producer’s handbook led to the misalignment and failure of a high-pressure gasoline connection on an engine’s gasoline injector pump’s meeting,” the report mentioned. “Because of the excessive threat of fireplace related to pressurized gasoline, when working with diesel engine elements, it’s essential to rigorously comply with producer meeting procedures and evaluation producer manuals and steerage frequently to make sure familiarity with appropriate upkeep procedures.”
The NTSB report additionally emphasised the necessity for coaching to forestall and comprise engine room fires.
“To stop engine room fires and guarantee they’re successfully contained, operators ought to present mariners practical scenario-based coaching, together with coaching that covers engine room emergencies,” the report mentioned. “This coaching also needs to cowl procedures for successfully shutting down equipment, gasoline oil, lube oil, and air flow programs, in addition to boundary monitoring.”
- Dowload the complete report HERE
