The Transport Accident Investigation Commission of New Zealand (TAIC) has published its report on its investigation into a cruise ship grounding incident that occurred in Doubtful Sound in southwestern New Zealand on January 24, 2024.
On the said date, the cruise ship Fiordland Navigator ran aground while making a turn in Doubtful Sound.
The vessel had nine crew and 57 passengers on board. Several people received minor injuries, and the vessel was moderately damaged.
TAIC said the crew responded well to the emergency, safely evacuating passengers to Deep Cove, then to Te Anau that evening (local time). The vessel returned to Deep Cove that night.
TAIC said the master almost certainly fell asleep at the controls due to workload-induced fatigue. The master was very likely fatigued from long work hours, which were not monitored or effectively managed.
The operator’s safety system did not track actual rest hours or properly identify or mitigate fatigue risks for sole-charge masters.
TAIC said that while the master had a valid medical certificate, medical fitness is not just a one-time check. There was no system to assure ongoing medical fitness during the two-year certification period.
The vessel’s senior launch master, responsible for safety procedures, had too much work to effectively oversee fatigue management.
The commission identified four key safety issues:
Medical fitness standards: Seafarers may not fully understand their responsibilities to report medical conditions affecting their fitness for duty. TAIC recommends that Maritime NZ improve awareness and enforcement of medical fitness standards.
Fatigue management: The operator’s fatigue management system did not prevent fatigue. The operator has updated its fatigue policy, introduced new training and monitoring measures, and improved work-hour tracking.
Sole-charge master risk: Vessel operator RealNZ had not properly identified or mitigated the risks of having a sole-charge master. The operator has added a second person to the wheelhouse during navigation and reinstated the master’s assistant role.
Safety management oversight: The person responsible for day-to-day safety oversight was overburdened, making risk management less effective. The operator has created a maritime resource Pplanner role and adjusted management responsibilities to improve oversight.