Equipment failure on board Australian registered bulk carrier Goliath

Executive summary

On 22 September 2002 the catastrophic failure of the main engine turbocharger disabled the cement carrier Goliath in Bass Strait. The replacement turbocharger failed in a similar manner on 12 February 2003, only four and a half months later, when Goliath was off Jervis Bay, again disabling the ship.

At 0107 on 22 September 2002, the Australian flag bulk cement carrier Goliath experienced a main engine turbocharger failure while the vessel was en route from Newcastle to Devonport when the turbocharger 'exploded' and disabled the ship's main engine.

At 1543 on 12 February 2003, while Goliath was en route from Devonport to Sydney, the turbocharger failed again. This time, the failure was witnessed by the second engineer who heard the rapid acceleration of the turbocharger before it exploded. Once again, the turbocharger had been damaged beyond repair and the ship was disabled.

The investigation report concludes that both turbocharger failures were similar and had occurred when the compressor discs burst due to overspeed. While it is not possible to state with certainty, the most likely mechanism leading to both overspeeds was a scavenge fire in the engine.

The ATSB delayed the release of these final investigation reports because of litigation involving the parties and because the investigations preceded and were not protected under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003.