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NTSB report: Shock load caused connection to fail with subsequent barge loss

An integrated tug and barge (ITB), operating in the Prince William Sound, suffered a complete connection failure on Jan 11, 2025, at 2.50 a.m. LT, when all four push lines of the 'Krystal Sea' parted during routine transit conditions, leading to a constructive total loss of the barge 'Cordova Provider', valued at $2.9 million, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. After the four lines connecting the tug to the barge suddenly parted, the barge uncoupled anddrifted for approximately four hours before grounding on the coast of Axel Lind Island, Alaska at about 06.35 a,m, The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the grounding of the 'Cordova Provider' was due to shock loading that led to the parting of the push lines connecting the barge to the tug The connection system utilized three wedges fitting into recesses within the notch, along with four push lines, two each on port and starboard sides, that were tensioned by winches to secure the vessels together. At the time of the incident, the ITB was operating in seas of 4-6 feet with approximately 35-knot winds on the vessel’s port quarter—conditions that investigators noted were routinely encountered on the vessel’s normal transit route between Whittier, Cordova, and Valdez. The investigation revealed that five days before the casualty, the captain had visually inspected the four push lines and documented no deficiencies. A post-casualty inspection by a technician from a local industrial and maritime supply company determined that the lines were in fair condition with no visible defects, concluding that the lines and soft shackle parted due to exceeding their breaking strength. The investigators believed that after the first push line parted due to shock loading, the remaining three lines experienced a cascading failure as they took up additional strain. However, the NTSB noted it was “undetermined how the first push line that parted was shock loaded”, given that the ITB was operating in familiar conditions with properly rigged lines.