Cruise Ship Fire Due to Lack of Modification

Shannon Weidemann

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

A fire on a cruise ship in May of last year was because a modification was not made to an engine part according to the official report. The fire was caused because a low pressure fuel pipe flange on the starboard engine failed. The accident on the cruise ship resulted in no injuries to passengers or crew.

A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report said there had been similar incidents of flange bolt failure "in the past and over 10 years previously".

It said frequent changes in the vessel's ownership could have been a reason why technical bulletins from the engine makers in 1995 and 1999 "were not effective in ensuring that the necessary modifications were carried out on The Calypso".

The report also criticized the response of the crew to the emergency. Passengers were evacuated to the lifeboats during the fire but it was not necessary for them to be lowered.