Business Sectors
Contents
Register to read more articles.
Accident report: mobile phone distraction leads to towboat/barge collision
A national safety agency has again advised the towage industry to ensure masters and pilots are well rested and not using mobile electronic devices while navigating vessels
A 1998-built towboat crashed into moored barges in 2024, causing US$810,000 of damage, as a tired pilot was using his personal mobile phone while navigating along the lower Mississippi River.
American Commercial Barge Line’s 52-m towing vessel William B Klunk was pushing 22 loaded hopper barges on 17 April 2024 when the tow collided with moored barges at a fleeting area near Baton Rouge.
According to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)’s investigation into the accident, the pilot was tired at the time, having had only four hours of continuous sleep in the 36 hours before the collision.
NTSB said, “The pilot’s fatigue was due to him being up nearly 18 hours at the time of the collision.”
He had also been using his own mobile phone for calls and texts and took administrative phone calls from the company’s safety officer before the collision.
During the collision, 13 barges broke away from William B Klunk’s tow and three barges broke away from the fleeting area, resulting in damage to these barges, a crew boat and two mooring dolphins. The collision resulted in one minor injury and estimated damage of US$810,000.
“While navigating the tow for about 1.5 hours before the collision, the pilot engaged in non-operational secondary tasks, including taking an administrative phone call from the company’s safety officer, making a personal phone call and sending text messages,” the NTSB said in the report.
“Use of cell phones, including company cell phones (particularly for non-operational conversations), should never interfere with a watchstander’s primary task to safely navigate a vessel and maintain a proper lookout,” the report said.
“To reduce the risk of cell phone distraction, operating companies should establish protocols regarding both personal and work-related mobile phone use, and vessel personnel should understand the importance in following them.”
Following the accident, container barge Bunge 746, which was loaded with empty containers, was deemed a total loss, crew boat Mr Bubba sank but was later recovered and William B Klunk was repaired.
“Use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices by on-duty crew members in safety-critical positions has been a factor in casualties and accidents in all transportation modes,” the NTSB said in its report.
“Using cell phones can be visually, manually, and cognitively distracting. The risk of distraction increases when an individual is fatigued.
“Fatigue’s impacts to attention, vigilance and multi-tasking can increase the likelihood that an individual will disengage from their primary task and become distracted by a secondary task,” the NTSB said.
The 28th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, in association with Caterpillar, 19-21 May 2026. Use this link for more details of this industry event and the associated social and networking opportunities.
Related to this Story
Events
Maritime & Offshore Community Golf Day 2025
19 Sep 2025
London
Offshore Wind Webinar Week
22 Sep 2025BST - ONLINE
Maritime Decarbonisation, Europe: Conference, Awards & Exhibition 2025
30 Sep 2025Amsterdam
Offshore Support Journal Conference, Americas 2025
07 Oct 2025Rio de Janeiro
© 2024 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.
