The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) has released the final report on the investigation into the grounding of general cargo ship Xin Feng at Beifeng Pier, Wuqiu, Kinmen.

At approximately 1842 local time on June 7, 2025, the Taiwan-flagged general cargo ship Xin Feng (Gross Tonnage 518) made contact with rocks near Beifeng Pier in Wuqiu Township, Kinmen County, while entering port for berthing. The contact caused flooding in the engine room, and the vessel subsequently grounded along the Wuqiu shoreline. Nine persons on board, including the master, were safely rescued and brought ashore by an inflatable boat dispatched by the Wuqiu Garrison Battalion. No casualties or environmental pollution resulted from the occurrence.

Following Taiwan's Transportation Occurrence Investigation Act and the Casualty Investigation Code of the International Maritime Organization, the TTSB is an independent transportation occurrence investigation agency responsible for conducting this investigation. Investigation Task Force included members from the Maritime and Port Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications; Coast Guard Administration, Ocean Affairs Council; Navy Command Headquarters, Ministry of National Defense and Prosperity Marine Transport Co., Ltd.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the factual information, the investigation identified 7 findings and issued 3 safety recommendations. The final report was reviewed and approved at the 85^th TTSB Board Meeting held on April 10, 2026.

Ⅰ. Findings from the investigation

Findings related to probable causes:

1. Xin Feng was affected by tidal currents during berthing operations at Beifeng Pier, and the master was unable to properly control the vessel’s position and heading, causing it to gradually deviate from the intended berthing position. The master subsequently decided to abort the berthing attempt and maneuver astern away from the pier. However, during the maneuver to move away from berth, the vessel approached a shallow-water area, and the port quarter came into contact with rocks, resulting in hull damage, flooding of the engine room, and the vessel becoming grounded near Beifeng Pier.

Findings related to risks:

1. Due to its geographical location and military requirements, Beifeng Pier in Wuqiu has special operational characteristics. Nautical charts of the surrounding waters are classified documents, making it difficult for masters of non-military chartered vessels to obtain navigational reference materials for berthing operations. In the absence of navigational reference information for Beifeng Pier, the master of Xin Feng could only rely on personal experience to conduct the berthing operation, thereby increasing the risk of an accident.
2. The company did not provide sufficient information regarding berthing operations at Beifeng Pier during pre-service training, nor did it verify that the master was fully familiar with the surrounding waters and the operational characteristics of the berthing area. As a result, the master had limited understanding of the relevant environmental conditions during the berthing operation, thereby increasing the risk associated with the maneuver.

Other findings:

1. At the time of the occurrence, the main engine, steering gear, and auxiliary machinery of Xin Feng were operating normally.
2. The master and crew members of Xin Feng all held valid certificates of competency issued by the maritime authority, and no deficiencies in qualification were identified.
3. At the time of the occurrence, the vessel’s manning level complied with the minimum safe manning requirements, and no evidence indicated insufficient rest or crew fatigue.
4. At the time of the occurrence, weather conditions were clear, with southerly winds at Beaufort scale 3 to 4, wave heights from 0.6 to 0.9 meters, and good visibility. These conditions did not exceed the maximum berthing limitations for Beifeng Pier as stipulated in the “Rules Governing Vessel Berthing and Unberthing at Wuqiu Wharf”.

Ⅱ. Transportation Safety Recommendations

To Prosperity Marine Transport Co., Ltd.

1. Strengthening pre-service training for newly appointed masters by providing guidance on recommended precautions for berthing operations and facilitating access to relevant information on the intended berth and surrounding waters. Familiarization or onboard observation training should also be arranged, as appropriate, to enhance safe navigation.

To the Maritime and Port Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications

1. Supervising Prosperity Marine Transport Co., Ltd. in strengthening pre-service training for newly appointed masters to ensure that the training content adequately enables them to become familiar with the operational risks at the intended berth, thereby enhancing navigational safety.

To Navy Command Headquarters, Ministry of National Defense

1. Summarizing publicly available navigational reference information for Beifeng Pier and providing it to masters of non-military chartered vessels for pre-berthing risk assessment prior to authorized berthing operations, thereby reducing risks associated with vessel berthing maneuvers.

The full Final Report in Chinese is available for download at https://www.ttsb.gov.tw

Eric Shen, Specialist

Secretariat Office

Tel: +886-2-7727-6229

E-mail: ericshen@ttsb.gov.tw

Willis Chen, Senior Investigator

Marine Occurrence Investigation Division

Tel: +886-2-7727-6246

E-mail: willis@ttsb.gov.tw