Independent investigation into the collision between the Australian registered fishing vessel Allena and the Antigua and Barbuda registered container ship Northern Fortune, off Bowen, Queensland, on 21 January 2008

Executive summary

At about 2102 on 21 January 2008, the Australian fishing vessel Allena collided with Northern Fortune, an Antigua and Barbuda registered container ship, off the Queensland coast. The fishing vessel's bow was badly damaged, but the crew were able to control the ingress of water and return the vessel to Bowen, Queensland, its home port.

The investigation determined that the lookout on board both Allena and Northern Fortune was ineffective and that neither vessel's watch keeper saw the other vessel in sufficient time to avoid the collision.

Additionally, the fishing vessel was not required to be fitted with an Automatic Information System (AIS) unit or a radar reflector and, consequently, it may have been difficult for the ship's third mate to detect the fishing vessel electronically.

After the collision, Northern Fortune's third mate did not stop to render assistance or ensure that the fishing vessel and its crew were safe because he claimed that he believed a collision had not occurred, only a close quarters passing.

The ATSB investigation report also found that the Queensland regulations for fishing vessel certificates of competency are ambiguous and are not consistent with current national standards. The regulations allowed Allen's skipper to operate the vessel up to 200 miles from the coast without appropriate training in navigation or the application of the collision regulations.

The ATSB has issued one recommendation and two safety advisory notices to address these safety issues.