National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released an accident report focusing on the engine room fire aboard fishing vessel Master Dylan. At about 0745 on 1 December 2020, the fishing vessel Master Dylan was trawling for shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico when an explosion occurred in the engine room.
The captain attempted to extinguish the fire, but was unsuccessful. A nearby fishing vessel rescued the crew from the burning vessel. An offshore supply vessel eventually extinguished the fire using water cannons. Master Dustin II, a vessel owned by the same company, proceeded to tow the Master Dylan to the nearest point of land. But in doing so, the Master Dylan ran aground during the tow and the fire re-flashed. The fire did not extinguish and eventually the Master Dylan rolled onto its starboard side and sank.
Findings
The NTSB determined the probable cause of the fire was the catastrophic failure of a diesel generator. Contributing to the spread of the fire was the location of the fuel shutoff valves within the engine room, which prevented the crew from securing them.
No injuries were reported, while the fire resulted in the total loss of the $300,000 vessel.
The report stresses that following the initiation of an engine room fire, it is imperative to remove the source of available fuel to the fire found in the fuel oil and lube oil systems. In this accident, the vessel had no remote emergency cut-off valves outside the engine room, and thus fuel to the fire could not be stopped and the vessel was eventually consumed by the flames. Vessel designers, builders, owners, and operators are encouraged to install, regularly test, and have emergency drills that incorporate remote cut-off valves for fuel and lube oil lines.
Download the full report: NTSB - Mater Dylan accident report 2021
Read another NTSB report: Golden Ray NTSB report reveals inaccurate stability calculations as the cause of the capsizing
