Discover the Elka-Apollon: Ratings & Maritime News

Investigators from the United States have determined that human error was a significant factor in the collision involving the 'Elka Apollon' and the 'MSC Nederland' that occurred on October 29, 2011, in the Houston Ship Channel. On September 25, 2012, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the misjudgment of the pilot aboard the 'Elka Apollon' was primarily to blame for the incident. According to the NTSB, the pilot's inadequate response to the shifting bank effect forces while navigating the Bayport flare caused the vessel to veer across the channel and collide with the 'MSC Nederland'. The NTSB's analysis highlighted that several factors contributed to the accident, including the high density of traffic, the narrowness of the waterway, vessel speeds, and insufficient communication between the tanker and a tugboat nearby. At the time of the accident, the 'Elka Apollon' was outbound and incurred damage primarily on its port bow due to the collision and the resultant fall of containers. The inbound 'MSC Nederland' experienced significant damage on its port side, particularly at the main deck level near its superstructure. During the incident, the containership's rescue boat was dislodged and set adrift, but thankfully, no injuries or major pollution incidents were reported, apart from a minor leak of hydraulic fluid from the containers. The earlier reports from the NTSB indicated that prior to the crash, the pilots on both vessels had agreed via VHF radio to pass each other port-to-port just as a fuel barge, towed by the Mr. Earl, exited the Bayport channel. The pilot of the 'Elka Apollon' attempted to steer clear of the barge by issuing left rudder commands, which inadvertently caused the vessel to shift left and toward the channel's intersection. Despite efforts by the conning pilot to regain control through a hard starboard rudder order and evasive actions taken by the 'MSC Nederland', the two ships collided. The estimated damages were around $1.5 million for the aframax 'Elka Apollon' and approximately $1.3 million for the panamax 'MSC Nederland'. Moving forward, the NTSB has recommended that the U.S. Coast Guard creates and executes a policy designed to enhance mariner awareness of the precautionary zones along the Houston Ship Channel. A formal report detailing the incident is expected to be released soon. Investigators found no evidence that drugs, alcohol, weather conditions, navigation aids, or vessel propulsion and steering systems contributed to the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published a Preliminary Report regarding a significant marine collision that took place on October 29, 2011, in the Houston Ship Channel. The incident involved the chemical tanker Elka Apollon and the container ship Nederland. According to the report, the collision occurred as the Elka Apollon maneuvered to change course in order to avoid an oncoming towboat and fuel barge that were entering the channel. For further details, visit: http://www.safety4sea.com/page/7694/5/preliminary-report-on-houston-ship-channel-collision-

Salvage teams have temporarily halted their efforts to recover damaged containers from the 'Elka Apollon' as of November 3, 2011. This decision comes on the heels of the successful completion of container recovery from the 'MSC Nederland' a day earlier on November 2. Initially, the plan was to remove the remaining containers from the 'Elka Apollon' immediately, but operations were put on hold due to strong winds, prioritizing the safety of all responders. The Coast Guard's Sector Houston-Galveston received an alert at around 9:47 a.m. on October 29, reporting a collision between the 'MSC Nederland' and 'Elka Apollon' at the junction of the Bayport Ship Channel and Houston Ship Channel. During this incident, three containers fell from the 'MSC Nederland' onto the deck of the 'Elka Apollon', with one container, which held tractor equipment, leaking a minimal amount of hydraulic fluid. Despite the collision, both ship channels remain accessible to maritime traffic, and fortunately, there were no injuries reported. The Coast Guard is currently investigating the circumstances leading up to this collision.