This alert is issued to inform operators of the role that the main propulsion lube oil system was found to have played in the EL FARO casualty. This alert also recommends that operators, especially ship engineers, review the operational procedures and limitations of vital propulsion machinery, and verify compliance with SOLAS, Classification Society and regulatory standards.
2/1/2018: Summary of Congressional testimony regarding El Faro reports
Rear Admiral John Nadeau, assistant commandant for prevention policy, testified Jan. 30, 2018, before the House Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, during a hearing titled, “Examination of Reports on the El Faro Marine Casualty.” Testifying alongside Nadeau were the Hon. Earl Weener, board member, National Transportation Safety Board, and Mr. Brian Curtis, with NTSB’s Office of Marine Safety.
1/29/2018: Adm. Nadeau to testify before Congress on El Faro final action memo
Rear Admiral John Nadeau, assistant commandant for prevention policy, will testify before the House Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Jan. 30, 2018, in a hearing titled, “Examination of reports on the El Faro marine casualty.”
12/21/2017: Coast Guard releases Final Action Memo regarding S.S. El Faro sinking and loss of 33 crewmembers
In the Final Action Memo, Adm. Zukunft approves the findings of fact, analysis, and conclusions detailed in the Marine Board of Investigation’s Report of Investigation, essentially marking it as the official Coast Guard position on the cause of the marine casualty.
10/1/2017: Coast Guard releases Report of Investigation into loss of 33 mariners and U.S. cargo ship, El Faro
The MBI concluded that the primary cause of the casualty was the decision to navigate El Faro too close to the path of Hurricane Joaquin. As the MBI expanded the investigation to explore other contributing factors, it uncovered evidence of an ineffective safety management system within the operating company, and failures by both the Coast Guard delegated representative and the Coast Guard itself to provide effective oversight of the vessel’s compliance with safety regulations.
