Cause of the Allision of Offshore Supply Vessel Tristan Janice with Natural Gas Platform: poor watchkeeping and operational practices of the captain and the mate
Executive Summary
About 0712 local time on February 18, 2014, the US-registered offshore supply vessel Tristan Janice allided with a natural gas production platform in the northern Gulf of Mexico, about 54 miles south-southwest of Houma, Louisiana.
No one was injured and no water pollution resulted from the allision.
However, the vessel and the platform sustained about $545,000 in total damage, and a substantial amount of natural gas escaped into the atmosphere from a ruptured supply pipe.
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the allision of offshore supply vessel Tristan Janice with a natural gas production platform was the poor watchkeeping and operational practices of the captain and the mate to ensure that the vessel was safely navigated, and the vessel owner’s inadequate procedures and oversight of the vessel’s safety management system.