MARINE ACCIDENT REPORT: M/T ELIAS EXPLOSION AND FIRE AT THE ATLANTIC RICHFIELD COMPANY, FORT MIFFLIN TERMINAL, DELAWARE RIVER, PENNSYLVANIA, APRIL 9, 1974

On April 9, 1974, the tanker MT ELIAS (Greek), while discharging crude oil, exploded, burned, and sank at the Atlantic Richfield Company Fort Mifflin Terminal on the Delaware River at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The ELIAS was destroyed; five crew members and three visitors were killed; four crew members and one visitor are missing and presumed dead. The tanker SS STEINIGER (Liberian) at the next berth was slightly damaged, and surrounding waters were polluted with oil. Damage to the ARCO terminal was estimated to be $2 million. The sunken hulk of the ELIAS obstructed use of the berth for 19 months. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the inadequate maintenance of cargo tanks and the sanitary system, which allowed volatile cargo vapors to enter compartments containing ignition sources. The location of accommodations over cargo tanks contributed to the loss of life.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Report
• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 1978-5-17

Media Info

• Pagination: 27 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash investigation; Explosions; Marine safety; Reports; Shipwrecks; Tankers; Water transportation crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Ship fires
• Geographic Terms: Delaware River
• Old TRIS Terms: Elias (Vessel); Steiniger
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00649528
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Maritime Technical Information Facility
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB-MAR-78-04
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 21 1994 12:00AM