OCEAN EXPRESS (DRILLING UNIT); CAPSIZING AND SINKING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO ON 15 APRIL 1976 WITH LOSS OF LIFE, MARINE CASUALTY REPORT
On 15 April 1976, the self-elevating drilling unit OCEAN EXPRESS, capsized and sank while it was being towed by three tugs from one drilling site to another in the Gulf of Mexico. The crew, except for the barge mover, abandoned the rig in two survival capsules. The barge mover was evacuated by a Coast Guard helicopter just seconds before the OCEAN EXPRESS capsized. All of the crew members in one of the capsules safely transferred to an attending vessel. The other capsule capsized in the vicinity of one of the tugs due to wave action and shifting weight. Seven men escaped from the overturned capsule and safely boarded the tugs, however, thirteen other persons were trapped inside and drowned. This report contains the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation report and the Action taken by the Commandant to determine the probable cause of the casualty and the recommendations to prevent recurrence. The Commandant concurs with the Board that the primary cause of the capsizing of the OCEAN EXPRESS was the loss of directional control resulting from the loss of the GULF KNIGHT's engine and the breaking of the GULF VIKING's towline at a time when the weather conditions were worsening. This allowed the OCEAN EXPRESS to drift broadside to the boarding seas.
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Corporate Authors:
United States Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, SW
Washington, DC United States 20593 - Publication Date: 1978-6-1
Media Info
- Pagination: 90 p.
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Capsizing; Casualties; Crash investigation; Lifeboats; Offshore drilling platforms; Wave motion; Wind
- Old TRIS Terms: Casualty data; Wave action; Wind factors
- Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00178900
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: United States Coast Guard
- Report/Paper Numbers: USCG 16732/61865
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Jul 29 1978 12:00AM