On April 25, 2024, a fire broke out in the engine room of the 'AK Discovery' in front of Akbaş during the transit of the Dardanelles wen route from Abu Qir to Varna. The General Directorate of Coastal Safety of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure coordinated the response, and the fire was extinguished. Cooling work on the ship was continued. After the cooling works have been completed, the ship was taken in tow by the 'Kurtarma 13' (IMO:9913573). Coordinated by the Çanakkale Ship Traffic Services Center, the ship was taken to Karanlık Liman, accompanied by the tug 'Türkeli' and assisted by a pilot, and moored in pos. 40° 01.08' N 026° 16.40' E. Reports with photos: https://twitter.com/kiyiemniyet/status/1783544764446462197 https://twitter.com/kiyiemniyet/status/1783560469648679096
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LA 06695
When on April 24, 2024, the 'LA-06695' was towing the barge 'LA-06883' of the Minh Linh Company Ltd., loaded with gravel, from Ky Ha (Quang Nam) to the Ly Son district (Quang Ngai), the barge suddenly sank four nautical miles from Ly Son district. The incident left at least four people dead and one person currently missing. When the authorities arrived at the scenem they initially found three bodies. By the afternoon, one more body was found. The five crew members included Pham Van Hiep (captain), Dang Minh Phuong (Long An); Vo Tan Khuong, Vo Van Nhieu and Bui Minh Tri (Quang Ngai). Currently, the four bodies found have not been identified. The Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority has coordinated with Ly Son District People's Committee and the Ly Son District Border Guard Station to continue the SAR operation. The Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority also issued a notice to the Region II Maritime SAR Coordination Center to support the search for the missing crew members. Report with photos: https://petrotimes.vn/quang-ngai-chim-sa-lan-khien-4-thuyen-vien-tu-vong-710033.html
BALSA 94
On April 25, 2024, at 3 p.m. UTC the 'Balsa 94' was the first large vessel to leave the port of Baltimore, en route to Saint John with an ETA as of April 29, after an involuntary 33-day stay due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Two hours after a new temporary channel was opened by the US Coast Guard, the ship sailed past the remains of the bridge. It had arrived in Baltimore on March 23, three days before the bridge collapsed, and had thus been in Baltimore for 33 days The ship was assisted out through the narrow temporary channel, which has a depth of 11.5 meters by two tugbs and at a speed of less than five knots. The ship was followed by i.a. the car transport ship 'Carmen' from Wallenius Wilhelmsen, which had been ready for departure before the collapse of the bridge. The shipping company has previously estimated that the involuntary stay would cost them 5-10 million. Dollar in lost operating earnings. The temporary channel is open for four days, during which the port will prioritize the approximately 12 larger ships that have been waiting to leave for a month. Three ships were lined up April 25 to be allowed to enter the port of Baltimore through the new temporary channel, while container barges continued to use another cleared passage with a depth of six meters. Reports with photos and video: https://www.maritimedanmark.dk/forste-storre-skibe-slap-ud-efter-33-dage-i-havnen https://apnews.com/article/key-bridge-collapse-channel-opened-ship-dali-e8694bd668589ad82e37b88b9ed84246 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/first-cargo-ship-passes-through-newly-opened-channel-in-baltimore-since-bridge-collapse/ar-AA1nEr3c
TAI KEYSTONE
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report stated that the tail rotor of an Agusta A109 helicopter struck a handrail while landing on the 'Tai Keystone' on Dec 6, 2023, as the pilot did not detect the obstacle, and the ship’s crew were using an older version of the vessel’s helicopter operations checklist. The report detailed that the helicopter was conducting marine pilot transfer operations to the bulk carrier, which was about 240 km north-east of Mackay, Queensland. As the helicopter’s wheels touched down on the ship’s helicopter landing site, the tail rotor struck an upright handrail that was not identified by the pilot during his approach. The pilot reported hearing a shredding noise and an increase in the engine pitch before completing the emergency shutdown procedure. The helicopter siffered substantial damage and was secured to the deck of the vessel, which then returned to Hay Point to allow the helicopter to be recovered. The ATSB investigation found that the ship’s crew was using an older version of the vessel’s helicopter operations checklist, which did not require the removal of the handrail, and the handrail was not removed during preparation of the landing site. In addition, the handrail was not painted in a color that contrasted with the ship’s deck, which was not in accordance with international guidance. The helicopter was also not positioned correctly during the landing, resulting in its tail rotor being outside the obstacle free zone. While it is the responsibility of the pilot in command to ensure that a landing area is safe, vessel operators should ensure their procedures and landing areas on ships are aligned with the relevant guidance material. To best aid pilots, objects that present a threat to a landing helicopter that are retractable, collapsible or removable should be painted in an appropriate color to ensure they are visible if forgotten or missed. Since the accident, the ship’s operator has updated the relevant checklist, and the helicopter operator has amended its procedures to ensure helicopter pilots are provided with a visual representation of each individual vessel’s helicopter landing site prior to departure. Report with photo: https://www.marinelink.com/news/old-checklist-led-helicopter-incident-513209
PACIFIC ACHIEVDL
The 'Pacific Achievement' ran aground at km 341.8 of the Paranà River on April 21, 2024. The Coastguard has re-instated navigation at the area on April 22 with a draft restriction of 10.39M FW. The ship was refloated and resumed its voyage from San Lorenzo to the Delta Zone with an ETA as of April 25.