The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) published the final report on the investigation of the Taiwan flag fishing boat "SHEN FENG NO.128" and its 6 crew members missing approximately 414 nautical miles northwest of Malakal Port in Palau due to severe weather conditions.

On February 8th, 2023, the "SHENG FENG NO.128", a Taiwanese fishing boat with gross tonnage of 40.93, the fishing boat number CT3-5369, departed from the Yenpu- Donggang fishing port of Pingtung. There were 6 seafarers on board, include 1 Taiwanese captain and 5 Indonesian crews. The ship was heading towards the high sea between Palau and Guam in the Pacific Ocean for fishing operations.

At around 0243 (UTC+8) on February 18th, the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) of the "SHENG FENG NO.128" lost signal, and the last location was approximately 414 nautical miles northwest of Malakal Port in Palau. As of now, both the fishing boat and all 6 crew members remain missing

In accordance with the Transportation Occurrences Investigation Act, and the relevant content of the Casualty Investigation Code of the International Maritime Organization, the TTSB is an independent transportation occurrence investigation agency, and responsible for conducting the investigation. The investigation team also included members from the Maritime and Port Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and Fishery Agency, Ministry of Agriculture. This final report was reviewed and approved by the 54th TTSB Board Committee Meeting on September 12, 2023.

Conclusions

After the occurrence happened, the related evidence was extremely limited and there were no witnesses. This case is classified as a Class 3 report.

On February 18th, 2023, the "SHENG FENG NO.128" experienced an extraordinary condition between 0243 (UTC+8) and 0343 (UTC+8), which may have been caused by heavy weather conditions. The fishing boat may have been hit by swells, leading to the ship and 6 seafarers going missing. The maximum wind force in the area was about level 6 to 8, and the wave height was about 4 to 5 meters. It is possible that the fishing boat capsized due to the swells, leading to the crew members being missing.

The emergency positioning radio beacon (EPIRB) did not activate for unknown reasons, making rescue operations more difficult.

Class 3 report: Due to insufficient factual information such as physical evidence and witness testimony, or the loss or inability to obtain evidence, it is impossible to collect, analyze, and investigate the occurrence.

Full final report is in Chinese only and available for download at website: https://www.ttsb.gov.tw

Vivi Yang, Secretariat Office

Tel: +886-2-7727-6217

E-mail: viviy2314@ttsb.gov.tw

Michael GUAN, Investigator-In-Charge

Marine Occurrence Investigation Division

Tel: +886-2-7727-6202

E-mail: michael@ttsb.gov.tw