MARINE ACCIDENT REPORT: SINKING OF THE U.S. FISHING VESSEL WAYWARD WIND IN THE GULF OF ALASKA KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA, JANUARY 18, 1988

On January 18, 1988, the fishing vessel WAYWARD WIND with six crewmembers arrived about 25 miles south of Kodiak Island, Alaska. A crewmember then notified the captain that the after deck was under water. The captain ordered the deckhand to tell the crew to don exposure suits, and the mate on watch sent a distress message to the U.S. Coast Guard. The captain attempted to pump one or more compartments, but the vessel continued to sink by the stern, and the captain recognized that the vessel could not be saved. After the crew had donned their exposure suits, they entered the water. The captain's wife took the vessel's class B emergency-position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) with her into the water. The vessel sank stern-first about 1/2 hour after the crew entered the water. Alerted by the distress message, a Coast Guard C-130 airplane arrived at the search area, located the source of the EPIRB signal, and dropped flares to mark the location of the signal.

  • Corporate Authors:

    National Transportation Safety Board

    Bureau of Accident Investigation, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC  United States  20594
  • Publication Date: 1989-1-18

Media Info

  • Pagination: 73 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00488472
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
  • Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB/MAR-89/01
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Oct 31 1989 12:00AM