Marine safety investigations & reports
Collision between F & K and Jolly Roger off Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory 16 April 2009
264-MO-2009-003
Summary
At about 0100 on 16 April 2009, the bulk carrier F & K collided with the Australian fishing vessel Jolly Roger off Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory. While F & K was undamaged, Jolly Roger listed heavily to port as a result of the collision and its crew of three had to abandon the vessel.
The ATSB investigation found that despite Jolly Roger being the 'give-way vessel', its skipper took no action to avoid the collision because there was no lookout being kept on board. Consequently, he was not aware of the ship's presence until immediately before the collision.
The investigation also found that F & K's bridge team had detected Jolly Roger 20 minutes before the collision. However, they mistakenly assumed that their ship was overtaking the fishing vessel because they had not used appropriate means to determine whether a risk of collision existed.
General details
| Date: | 16 April 2009 | Investigation status: | Completed | ||
| Time: | 0105 (UTC+9 1/2 hrs) | Investigation level: | Systemic - click for an explanation of investigation levels | ||
| Location (show map): | Off Groote Eyland | ||||
| State: | Northern Territory | ||||
| Release date: | 16 March 2010 | Occurrence category: | Incident | ||
| Report status: | Final | Highest injury level: | None |
Vessel 1 details
| Vessel | Jolly Roger | |
|---|---|---|
| Flag | Australian | |
| IMO | IB1 | |
| Type of operation | Fishing Vessel | |
| Damage to vessel | Substantial | |
| Departure point | Groote Eyland | |
| Destination | Blue Mud Bay |
Vessel 2 details
| Vessel | F & K | |
|---|---|---|
| Flag | Hong Kong | |
| IMO | 9185815 | |
| Type of operation | Dry Bulk Carrier | |
| Damage to vessel | Nil | |
| Departure point | Out of Area | |
| Destination | Groote Eyland |