US accident investigators have produced a damning report into the major fire on a Baja Ferries ro-pax off Puerto Rico in 2016.
A blaze broke out in the engine room of the 28,000-gt ro-pax ferry Caribbean Fantasy (built 1989) on 17 August, prompting the evacuation of 512 passengers and crew.
The ship was later scrapped due to the damage caused.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the fire started when fuel spraying from a leaking flange came in contact with a hot surface on the port main propulsion engine, due to poor maintenance practices.
It could not be contained.
The burning vessel drifted in the wind and grounded on the sandy bottom outside the port. Three days later, the ferry was towed into the harbor, where shore-based firefighters extinguished the last of the fire.
The accident resulted in an estimated $20m of damage to Caribbean Fantasy.
NTSB said: "Use of improper gasket material on the pressurised fuel supply end flange for the port main engine resulted in a breakdown of the gasket material and the eventual fuel spray that led to the fire."
Guidance not followed
There was also a lack of adherence to manufacturer’s guidance and proper machinery maintenance procedures, which contributed to the fire.
The water-mist fixed firefighting system did not suppress the blaze, likely due to the simultaneous activation of multiple coverage zones and a reduced water supply as a result of drencher system activation, the probe found.
And the carbon dioxide fixed firefighting system did not extinguish the fire due to ventilation dampers that failed to properly close.
NTSB also found that the uninterrupted flow of fuel to the fire from the blocked-open quick-closing valves allowed the fire to exceed the design criteria of the structural fire protection for the engine room, and as a result the fire spread to the garage deck above.
The report said Baja Ferries "possessed a poor organisational safety culture, as evidenced by management’s lack of commitment to core safety programmes and its disconnect from the training, maintenance, and operations on board the Caribbean Fantasy."
Class society Rina failed to meet its responsibilities, on behalf of the Panama Maritime Authority, to ensure that Caribbean Fantasy met and remained in compliance with international and statutory requirements, it added.
