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KiwiRail will face court after power loss

KiwiRail will face court after the 'Kaitaki' lost power and issued a mayday call while near Wellington’s south coast ion Jan 18, 2023. Maritime New Zealand today confirmed it has filed a single charge against KiwiRail under the Health and Safety at Work Act, after an investigation into procedures around safety and maintenance. The Kaitaki had more than 800 people on board for its 2.15 p.m. sailing to Wellington that day. Shortly before 5 p.m., the ship reported engine problems. Ten minutes later, it issued a mayday call after all four engines shut down amid a raging southerly. The engines automatically turned off to prevent them overheating. The mayday call sparked an immediate response from emergency services and the public as the ferry came dangerously close to rocks. Six other vessels swiftly made their way to the Kaitaki, including the Aratere, police patrol vessel the 'Lady Elizabeth IV', two tugs, a pilot boat and a fishing boat. Five rescue helicopters were also called and a cordon was erected at Owhiro Bay Pde near Red Rocks. One of the largest 4WD clubs in the country was called in to help and 30 vehicles made their way to the south coast with blankets, woollen hats and hot water. Around 7 p.m., all four engines were restarted and the ferry safely made its way into Wellington Harbour. The investigation took 12 months; it involved reviewing the operator’s organisational information relevant to processes and procedures connected to safety and maintenance management, undertaking interviews and examining the Kaitaki after the incident occurred. Material was then comprehensively reviewed before the decision was made to prosecute.

Ferry returned to Wellington due to steering control system issue

The 'Kaitaki' suffered a steering problem in the night of Aug 9, 2023, and was forced to abort a crossing, leaving passengers stuck on board overnight. The ferry had sailed from Wellington at 8.30 p.m., headed for Picton, when it developed issues with the steering control system just out of the Wellington heads, 1,5 hours into the voyage. The 'Kaitaki' retained full steering control via a backup system and returned to Wellington harbour, where it anchored. To ensure safety, the ship’s master decided it would not berth at Kaiwharawhara without being guided by tugs, which were not available until Aug 10 at around 7 a.m. The crew had fixed the issue on Aug 10 at 9 a.m. and left the port en route to Picton. There were only about 20 cars on board so everyone had got a cabin for the night, primarily commercial vehicle drivers.

Report: Piece of safety-critical equipment that was 13 years older than it should have been

After the 'Kaitaki' lost power on Jan 28, the TAIC has issued a Preliminary Report on one aspect of the incident. It revealed a piece of safety-critical equipment that was 13 years older than it should have been, failed and caused the ferry to lose power in the middle of the Cook Strait. A rubber expansion joint (REJ) which was too old ruptured, flooding the engine room bilge system with water from the ships high-temperature water cooling system. The loss of water pressure from the cooling system meant the engines could not be restarted safely, and propulsion could not be restored in a timely manner. As a result, the ship drifted in the Cook Strait. The REJ that ruptured had been installed when it was 13 years old, had been in service on board the ship for five years, and it was 18 years since it was manufactured. It should have been no older than eight months from its manufacture date when it was installed, according to its manufacturer, and should have been replaced within five years. It was two months overdue for replacement when it failed. KiwiRail advised the Commission it has introduced a rule that REJs are stored for a maximum of four years, and can be in use for a further four. KiwiRail has replaced all the REJs onboard the Kaitaki, and assessed the condition of all the other REJs in the fleet - but although TAIC welcomes this, it said it is not enough. “The Commission is concerned that there remain REJs in operation in the KiwiRail Interislander fleet that do not meet manufacturers guidance and are at increased risk of failure.” KiwiRail’s chief executive Peter Reidy has apologised for the failure, and said the organisation is committed to ensuring nothing like it happens again. TAIC has recommended that Maritime New Zealand require evidence from KiwiRail that all REJs onboard its ships are fit for purpose, no older than eight months from the date of manufacture and are inspected annually. The safety-critical seals must be replaced every five years, regardless of the findings of the annual inspection. The Transport Accident Commission (TAIC) released the findings in the morning of May 4 after announcing earlier in the week it was so urgent it could not wait until the conclusion of the full investigation which could take up to 18 months or even longer.