NTSB Releases Report of Capsizing and Sinking of T/B RICKY J LEBOEUF
NTSB Releases Report of Capsizing and Sinking of T/B RICKY J LEBOEUF
On January 23, 2017, the NTSB released its report and finding of probable cause of the capsizing and sinking of T/B RICKY J LEBOEUF which occurred on April 19, 2016 in the San Jacinto River near Channelview, Texas. The incident resulted in the loss of the life of the deckhand; the remaining 4 members of the crew survived. In addition, the vessel sustained $900,000 in damages and was declared a constructive total loss. Over 10,000 gallons of diesel and other oils were released into the river when the vessel sank.
The NTSB concluded that the probable cause of the accident “was the relief captain’s ill-advised decision to perform a downstreaming maneuver in high water conditions without implementing the operating company’s risk mitigation strategies or other safeguards.” (NTSB/MAB-17/04 at 7)
A complete copy of the report is available at: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAB1704.pdf
