COLLISION OF LIBERIAN TANKSHIP M/V STOLT VIKING AND U.S. CREWBOAT CANDY BAR IN GULF OF MEXICO, JANUARY 7, 1978--MARINE ACCIDENT REPORT

At 2125 c.s.t. on January 7, 1978, the Liberian tankship M/V Stolt Viking collided with the U.S. crewboat Candy Bar amidships and cut it into two pieces. The accident occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 110 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Stolt Viking was not damaged. Two crewmen escaped from the Candy Bar and were rescued 4 hours after the accident. The other two crewmen are missing and are presumed dead. The bow section of the Candy Bar sank soon after the accident; however, the stern section remained afloat until 0900 on January 8, 1978. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the Stolt Viking and the Candy Bar to keep an adequate lookout both visually and on radar. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the Stolt Viking and the Candy Bar to sound for signals. Contributing to the loss of life was the lack of lifejackets in the wheelhouse of the Candy Bar.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  Bureau of Accident Investigation, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 1978-10-12

Media Info

• Pagination: 19 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash investigation; Crashes; Fatalities; Ships; Tankers; Water transportation crashes
• Old TRIS Terms: Ship casualties; Ss candy bar; Ss stolt viking; Tanker casualties; Tanker collisions
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00189869
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB-MAR-78-9
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 25 1979 12:00AM