Ferry Accidents: How They Happen and How They Are Investigated

Ferries are the most familiar commercial vessels in America. Commuters ride them twice a day without thinking about it. That familiarity is part of the risk. Routes that run dozens of times a week become routine for the crew too, and routine is where attention slips.

What makes ferry operations different

• Frequency. The same crossing, the same docks, many times a day. Crews know the route well, which helps, and stop seeing it fresh, which does not.
• Speed. Many modern ferries are fast. Closing speeds with other traffic shrink the time to notice and react.
• Docking. A ferry docks far more often than a ship. Every landing is a chance to come in too fast, misjudge current, or have a mechanical problem at the wrong moment.
• Passengers in motion. People stand up early, crowd the exits, and move down ramps while the vessel is still settling against the dock.
• Traffic. Ferry routes often cross busy shipping lanes and recreational waters.

The wheelhouse

On many ferries, the captain may be alone in the wheelhouse for at least part of the trip. The questions in a collision or allision case usually start there. Who was steering? Who was keeping lookout? What else was that person doing? Was the radar set up for the conditions? Was anything competing for attention, including a phone?

Whether one person could do it all safely on that crossing, in that traffic and visibility, is often the heart of the case.

Docking and landings

Hard landings injure passengers and damage docks. The causes repeat: approach speed, misjudged current or wind, propulsion or control problems, and communication between the wheelhouse and deck crew. Many ferries carry data or control system logs that can show throttle and propulsion commands during the approach.

Passenger handling

• When passengers were allowed to move toward exits
• How ramps and gangways were secured and staffed
• Whether announcements were made, and when
• Crowd control during loading and unloading
• Weather and sea conditions affecting deck safety

Records to request

• Certificate of inspection and crew list
• Wheelhouse staffing policy and the actual staffing that trip
• Operations manual and docking procedures
• AIS data, radar records, and any video
• Propulsion and control system logs
• Drill and training records
• Phone records for the wheelhouse crew, where a court allows it
• The CG-2692 report

Public operators

Many ferries are run by public agencies. That can add notice requirements and other procedural rules that counsel will need to address early. The operational questions do not change.

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About the author

Captain Mitchell S. Stoller is a Master Mariner Unlimited, former Exxon tanker master, and former Los Angeles Harbor pilot. About Captain Stoller