RICKY J LEBOEUF

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Accident report critical with actions of captain

An accident report by the National Transportation Safety Board was critical of the actions of the relief captain who was aboard the "Ricky J. Leboeuf" when it capsized and sank in the San Jacinto River on April 19, 2016. The day before the accident, the Houston and surrounding areas were inundated by heavy rains causing with the river to rise 5 feet above flood stage and have a stronger than normal current. The "Ricky J Leboeuf" with a crew of five was preparing to tow a pair of barges to Beaumont. The U.S. Coast Guard and the company operating the vessel at the time, D&S Marine Service, warned captains about performing certain maneuvers in these conditions. Federal investigators wrote the tug's relief captain was performing a downstreaming maneuver when a strong current caused the "Ricky J Leboeuf" to pivot, bump a barge, capsize and sink. The entire accident was captured by a nearby surveillance camera. Four of the crew members survived. A deckhand from Alabama, Joshua Brazeal, drowned. His body was discovered the following day. NTSB investigators noted the relief captain, who was not identified in the report, decided to attempt the maneuver despite the risks and without consulting the vessel's captain or the company port captain, as required by company policy. At the time of the accident, the captain and senior tankerman were sleeping in their staterooms. The relief captain's "decision was ill-advised and resulted in the death of a crew member." NTSB investigators wrote the relief captain refused to be interviewed by them or the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard investigation was not yet complete. Full NTSB report: http://media.click2houston.com/document_dev/2017/03/06/NTSB%20full%20report_1488844591588_9099465_ver1.0.pdf

NTSB report regarding capsize accident published

The capsized of the "Ricky J. Leboeuf" on Apr 19, 2016 that killed a crewman in Texas was the result of a failed downstreaming maneuver, similar to a 2015 fatal accident in Louisiana, according to a new National Transportation Safety Board report. The tug, owned by D & S Marine Service and operated by Kirby Inland Marine, was moving to pick up two empty tank barges on the San Jacinto River near Channelview, Texas. The San Jacinto river stage was 15’, a full 5’ above flood stage as a result of prolonged heavy spring rains across that region of Texas, topped off by 5.17” of rainfall in the river basin itself the day before, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. The Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service for Houston/Galveston had issued advisories warnings of high water and fast currents. Kirby had issued advisories via email to its tug crews about restrictions on downstreaming maneuvers — going with the flow of the current, using engines astern to slow the towboat until making contact with a barge. The company also reminded crews about the use of assist towboats, and the need to close main deck watertight doors and hatches in accordance with the company’s safety management system. The "Ricky J Leboeuf" was dispatched at 7:15 a.m. from its mooring at the CEMEX facility near Channelview, with instructions to pick up the barges from Kirby’s nearby fleeting area and proceed with them to Beaumont. With a crew of five, the tug relief captain, credentialed as a towing master for unlimited tonnage in domestic waters and with 12 years experience, was in charge of the watch. The junior tankerman/steersman was at the helm, the deckhand preparing to take the barges under tow, while the captain and senior tankerman were off watch in their staterooms, according to the report. The crew proceeded 2.6 miles from Old River, through the Houston Ship Canal, and into the San Jacinto River. According to AIS data, the towboat’s speed over ground was 6.4 knots in the Houston Ship Channel, but quickly dropped to 3.5 knots as it pushed into the San Jacinto with its fast current. The junior tankerman told investigators how he and the relief captain noticed the effect of the current. When they arrived at the fleeting area at 7:46 a.m., the Ricky J Leboeuf was making 4 knots. “The relief captain expressed concern regarding the stronger-than-average current and, given the prevailing conditions, took control of the vessel from the junior tankerman/steersman because he wanted to demonstrate the proper way of performing the downstreaming maneuver", The relief captain took the "Ricky J Leboeuf" upstream of the barges. At 7:48 a.m. he turned to port to start the downstream move, approaching the barge fleet at 1.6 knots. Two minutes later the towboat’s port push knee made contact. “Using the two main diesel engines, the rudders, and the flanking rudders, the relief captain attempted to pivot the vessel to square it up on the barge. However, his efforts were unsuccessful,” the report stated. The current was moving at an angle relative to the barge and began pushing on the starboard side of the towboat as its port side fendered against several barges. At 7:53 a.m. the vessel heeled to starboard, taking on water through two open doors, as the relief captain sounded the general alarm. Both the captain and senior tankerman escaped from their staterooms, as the relief captain and junior tankerman made their way to safety. The deckhand was last seen trying to swim; his body was recovered by a search and rescue team around 10 a.m., without the safety work vest he had been wearing on deck. The tug was a total constructive loss at $900,000 and some 10,400 gals. of fuel, lubricant, and other fluids leaked into the river. The relief captain refused to be interviewed by Coast Guard and NTSB investigators, the report said. It noted that under Kirby company policy, he should have consulted with the captain or Kirby’s port captain before attempting the downstreaming maneuver. “The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the capsizing and sinking of the towing vessel 'Ricky J Leboeuf' was the relief captain’s ill-advised decision to perform a downstreaming maneuver in high water conditions without implementing the operating company’s risk mitigation strategies or other safeguards,” the NTSB investigators concluded.

Salvors try to locate tug wreck

The "Ricky J. Leboeuf" which capsized on the San Jacinto River near Houston on Apr 19 has disappeared beneath the water. Salvage crews were on the scene on Apr 20 to try to locate and raise the wreck. No fuel spilled from the tug, which had about 10,000 gallons of diesel in its tanks when it tilted to starboard side and rolled over within a few moments. Officials were trying to determine why the vessel overturned while working with some barges, killing the 33-year-old Joshua Brazeal from Alabama. The river was at high flood at the time of the incident, but authorities did not yet know the cause of the capsize; investigations continued. Video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/459771/tug-capsizes-next-barges-san-jacinto-river#.VxisGHrDHrw