NTSB opens public docket for investigation into Seacor Power capsizing
OFFSHORE WEEK
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened the public docket as part of its ongoing investigation of the April 13, 2021, fatal capsizing of the liftboat Seacor Power near Port Fourchon, Louisiana.
A rain squall passed over the vessel as it transited the open waters of the gulf on the said date. Visibility dropped and the winds increased significantly, so the crew decided to lower the liftboat’s legs to the seafloor to hold the vessel in position until the storm passed.
When the legs began to descend, the crewmember at the helm attempted to turn the vessel into the winds. Before the turn was completed, Seacor Power heeled to starboard and capsized.
Nineteen personnel were aboard the vessel. These included nine crew, two galley staff, and eight offshore workers.
Six people were rescued by the US Coast Guard and good Samaritan vessels, six people died, and seven people are missing and presumed dead.
The docket for the investigation includes more than 8,000 pages of factual information, including interview transcripts, a meteorology report and other investigative materials. As the investigation continues, additional material may be added to the docket as it becomes available.
The docket contains only factual information collected by NTSB investigators; no conclusions about how or why Seacor Power capsized should be drawn from the information within the docket.
Analysis, findings, recommendations, and probable cause determinations related to the capsizing will be issued by the NTSB in a final report at a later date.
The public docket is available online through this link.
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