Description

On 20 August 2019, a Kaohsiung fishing boat Sinyipu NO.36 proceeded to fishing operations near the northwest of Wanggong fishing port, Changhua County. At 2000, the shipowner steered his ship southeast where there were fewer ships to deal with his fishing tools because the tools got tied and he couldn’t let down his nets to fish.    

On 21 August 2019, a container vessel MARCLIFF left Taichung Port and steered to its destination Kaohsiung Port at 0606 after finishing cargo handling at Taichung Port. At 0518, the ship hit the stern of Sinyipu NO.36 resulting in overturn accident at 0742 while the Chief Officer was on coastal navigation duty, using radar backup to look out.

On 21 August 2019, at 1000, the Central Maritime Affairs Center, Maritime and Port Bureau, MOTC received the report of Assignment Command Center, Coast Guard Administration that Sinyipu NO.36 overturned at 9 Nautical miles offshore at Wanggong Port, Fangyuan Township, Changhua County. On receiving the report, the Central Maritime Affairs Center instantly started up emergency response to notify to the passing ships. Budai Coast Patrol Corps, Coast Guard Administration sent the patrol boat PP-2058 at 1022 and they stopped the suspected accident-caused vessel MARCLIFF at 10 Nautical miles outside Foziliao fishing port, Yunlin County.  After they found out the destination of MARCLIFF is Kaohsiung Port, the Corps asked South Maritime Affairs Center, Maritime and Port Bureau, MOTC to restric its departure and carry out the marine safety investigation

According to the related content of Transportation Occurance Investigation Act ROC and International Maritime Organization’s Casualty Investigation Code, Taiwan Transportation Safety Board is an independent organization to be in charge of the marine occurance investigation. The invited agencies to participate in this investigation included: Maritime and Port Burear, MOTC, Coast Guard Administration, Ocean Affairs Council and Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan.

Based on the factual information and the results of analysis, 7 findings and 3 safety recommendations were issued as follows.    

Definitions of the findings as the result of this investigation: The TTSB presents the findings derived from the factual information gathered during the investigation and the analysis of the occurrence. The findings are presented in three categories: findings related to probable causes, findings related to risk, and other findings.

The findings related to probable causes identify elements that have been shown to have operated in the occurrence, or almost certainly operated in the occurrence. These findings are associated with unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, or safety deficiencies associated with safety significant events that played a major role in the circumstances leading to the occurrence.

The findings related to risk identify elements of risk that have the potential to degrade transportation safety. Some of the findings in this category identify unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, and safety deficiencies including organizational and systemic risks, that made this occurrence more likely; however, they cannot be clearly shown to have operated in the occurrence alone. Furthermore, some of the findings in this category identify risks that are unlikely to be related to the occurrence but, nonetheless, were safety deficiencies that may warrant future safety actions.

Other findings identify elements that have the potential to enhance transportation safety, resolve a controversial issue, or clarify an ambiguity point which remains to be resolved. Some of these findings are of general interests that are often included in the IMO format accident reports for informational, safety awareness, education, and improvement purposes.