Captain: "The autopilot didn't respond." AIBN: "You SURE?"

[Klaveness]

Report on the grounding and sinking of the tug FFS Achilles

@AIBN

While returning to Farsund from an assistance operation in the Fedafjord on 3 March 2017, the tugboat FFS Achilles ran aground at Nordre Lamholmflua in the approach to Farsund. The vessel ran aground at a speed of 8.4 knots, and sank shortly thereafter due to damage to the bottom under the engine room. FFS Atlas arrived at the scene before the vessel sank and rescued its crew, who were in the life raft. Two out of the three crew members had suffered minor injuries and received medical attention.

The mechanical control system for the propeller units (Voith Schneider) on board FFS Achilles was controlled by autopilot. The navigator, who was alone on watch, has stated that he initiated a change of course to port on the autopilot to pass the green navigation marker at Nordre Lamholmflua on his starboard side. The autopilot did not respond, and he made several unsuccessful attempts to initiate a change of course. He decided to deactivate the autopilot in order to switch to manual control, but the vessel ran aground before he could do so.

So the accident captain says the autopilot stopped responding to input. The AIBN rather drily points out that it really doesn’t look like that was the case, but whatever. I gotta wonder if he’s speaking the truth, consciously lying, or has succumbed to denialism? Either way, this report puts him in a rather embarrassing position.

I must sympathize a bit. I had an autopilot malfunction that put me on top of a cute little boat in a marina. It took a while before I was able to reproduce the issue, and about as long before anyone believed me. It sucked.