An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation is underway into the grounding of the Liberian-registered bulk carrier Cape Falcon off the Port of Gladstone, Queensland.
As reported to the ATSB, the ship grounded south of the bunkering anchorage on 18 September. Refloating efforts are continuing.
No injuries have been reported to the ship’s crew, and no damage, hull breaches or pollution have been reported.
The ATSB is not involved with the ship’s recovery operations but is continuing to monitor the situation as part of its investigation. The ATSB will attend the ship to conduct interviews and collect evidence and data once appropriate.
In the meantime, data from the ship’s voyage data recorder will be preserved and investigators will collect other relevant recorded information, including ship tracking data, weather information, and crew, operator and maintenance records.
The ATSB will provide a substantive update on the progress of the investigation when it releases a preliminary report in about two months.
The investigation’s findings will be contained in a final report to be released at the conclusion of the investigation. The final report will also detail the ATSB’s analysis of the evidence to support those findings.
However, should a critical safety issue be identified during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so safety action can be taken.