Exxon Valdez
Exxon Valdez
On March 24, 1989 at 12:04am the super tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in the Prince William Sound on the Bligh Reef. Eight out of eleven cargo tanks were punctured releasing 5.8 million gallons of crude oils into the surrounding sea. According to reports from Exxon and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were only nineteen crew members and the captain aboard the ship. On the day before the ship arrived at the Alyeska Pipeline Terminal to be loaded for a trip to Long Beach, California. As loading began and was underway the captain and two other senior officers left the port to visit the town of Valdez. On the trip it was testified that the captain and officers took part in the consumption of alcoholic drinks while away from the port. Upon arrival back to port the ship’s departure time had been moved from 11pm to 9pm giving the captain and crew about thirty six minutes to prepare for departure. The Third Mate Cousins had already preformed the required tests on the safety, navigational, and mechanical gear earlier that evening. The Exxon Valdez left port at 9:12pm with the assistance of tugboats. At 10:49pm it was reported to the ship had cleared the Valdez Narrows and was under way, until the grounding at 12:04am. The Causes that occurred that lead to the point of running aground is mainly due to human error and fatigue due to lack of rest. The captain radioed the Vessel Traffic Center wanting approval for a course change from the outbound shipping lanes to the inbound lanes in effort to avoid ice drifts. After getting clearance the captain ordered a course change but failed to reduce speed for the maneuver between shipping lanes. He then gave another order for a course change and had the auto pilot set and left the bridge. Cousins was left to man the bridge on his own even though company policy states that all vessels must have two officers on the bridge at all times. Cousins was coming to the end of his duty shift
On March 24, 1989 at 12:04am the super tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in the Prince William Sound on the Bligh Reef. Eight out of eleven cargo tanks were punctured releasing 5.8 million gallons of crude oils into the surrounding sea. According to reports from Exxon and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were only nineteen crew members and the captain aboard the ship. On the day before the ship arrived at the Alyeska Pipeline Terminal to be loaded for a trip to Long Beach, California. As loading began and was underway the captain and two other senior officers left the port to visit the town of Valdez. On the trip it was testified that the captain and officers took part in the consumption of alcoholic drinks while away from the port. Upon arrival back to port the ship’s departure time had been moved from 11pm to 9pm giving the captain and crew about thirty six minutes to prepare for departure. The Third Mate Cousins had already preformed the required tests on the safety, navigational, and mechanical gear earlier that evening. The Exxon Valdez left port at 9:12pm with the assistance of tugboats. At 10:49pm it was reported to the ship had cleared the Valdez Narrows and was under way, until the grounding at 12:04am. The Causes that occurred that lead to the point of running aground is mainly due to human error and fatigue due to lack of rest. The captain radioed the Vessel Traffic Center wanting approval for a course change from the outbound shipping lanes to the inbound lanes in effort to avoid ice drifts. After getting clearance the captain ordered a course change but failed to reduce speed for the maneuver between shipping lanes. He then gave another order for a course change and had the auto pilot set and left the bridge. Cousins was left to man the bridge on his own even though company policy states that all vessels must have two officers on the bridge at all times. Cousins was coming to the end of his duty shift