Discover the Bw-Levant: Ratings & Maritime News

On March 2, 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a detailed marine accident brief regarding the allision involving the 'Levant' and the Petrogas Ferndale Wharf that occurred on December 15, 2010. The investigation identified that the primary cause of the incident was the pilot's approach, which was executed at an excessive speed and a steep angle. This was attributed to inadequate bridge resource management by both the pilot and the bridge team. The brief emphasized the importance of the master/pilot exchange as a critical moment for sharing vital information for safe navigation. Furthermore, the investigation highlighted that distractions played a significant role; both the pilot and the master were engaged in a non-relevant conversation approximately three minutes before the allision, which likely caused them to overlook crucial indicators of the vessel's speed and trajectory towards the mooring dolphin, as well as the timing for the intended turn towards the wharf.

On the morning of December 14, 2019, the tanker 'Levant' experienced a significant incident when it collided with the terminal pier at the Alcoa Intalco Works gas terminal located in Ferndale. During routine mooring operations, the vessel sustained a hull breach while carrying a substantial cargo of 33,000 tons of propane and butane. Following the accident, the crew successfully offloaded the cargo, and the tanker was subsequently redirected to Port Angeles, where it docked on December 17. By December 25, the 'Levant' remained moored at the port. Preliminary investigations suggested that strong winds may have contributed to the unfortunate allision.