FOUNDERING OF THE M/V MARYLAND IN ALBEMARLE SOUND, NORTH CAROLINA ON 18 DECEMBER 1971 WITH LOSS OF LIFE. MARINE CASUALTY REPORT

On December 18, 1971, as the uninspected motor vessel MARYLAND, towing the barge BALTIMORE No. 2, proceeded into Albemarle Sound, N.C., high tripping forces imparted by the hawser and wind caused the MARYLAND to heel to port for more than two hours, which led to flooding and the subsequent sinking of the MARYLAND. The crew was unable to broadcast a distress message because electrical power to the radio had been lost. As a result of late and disorganized efforts to abandon ship, most crewmembers were forced to enter the cold water of Albemarle Sound without suitable life preservers. By the time a passing yacht came upon the casualty, exposure and drowning had killed six of the seven crewmembers. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this casualty was the fact that the portside watertight door which led from the weatherdeck to the lower crew berthing compartment was left open at some time while the vessel was heeled over to port. This provided a relatively low point of water ingress, and the subsequent flooding sank the vessel.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20594

  United States Coast Guard

  2100 Second Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20593
• Publication Date: 1974-5-22

Media Info

• Pagination: 39 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash investigation; Crashes; Fatalities; Human error; Permeability; Shipwrecks; Stability (Mechanics); Towboats; Towing vehicles; Water transportation crashes
• Identifier Terms: Maryland (Ship)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Foundering
• Old TRIS Terms: Ship casualties; Towboat stability; Towing accidents; Watertight integrity
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00057828
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: USCG-NTSB-MAR-74-3
• Files: NTIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 19 1978 12:00AM