Bulk Carrier Grounding at World’s Largest Bulk Port Highlights Critical Safety Issues in Rudder Systems

A routine departure from Port Hedland, Western Australia, turned into a serious maritime incident when the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Hagen Oldendorff grounded in the port’s channel following an electrical failure.

The incident, which occurred on April 9, 2022, began when an electrical short circuit disabled all of the vessel’s analogue rudder angle indicators, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) reported on Friday. The bridge team, mistakenly believing they had lost steering capability, initiated emergency procedures that resulted in an uncontrolled turn and subsequent collision with the channel wall at 6.1 knots.

The impact caused substantial damage to two double-bottom water ballast tanks, requiring extensive repairs, though fortunately no injuries or pollution were reported.

Summary of Events Leading to Grounding

The below sequence highlights the critical moments and actions taken as the crew and pilot attempted to mitigate the developing emergency before the Hagen Oldendorff grounded.

1. Initial Incident (0137:49): Clicking sounds were heard on the bridge, followed by the loss of rudder angle indicator illumination. The rudder was initially amidships but moved to port 10° per prior orders. The ship began experiencing a slight starboard rate of turn (RoT).
2. Pilot’s Response: The pilot ordered port 20° rudder and directed the aft tug, RT Clerke, to pull the stern starboard with 40 tonnes of force. The rudder angle increased to port 20°, but the starboard RoT persisted.
3. Rudder Failure Declared (0138:10): Non-follow-up (NFU) steering mode was engaged, and the pilot declared a rudder failure. The ship steadied briefly at 336° but soon began turning to port.
4. Tug Maneuvers and Escalation: RT Clerke transitioned to the starboard quarter to execute orders, but increasing port RoT prompted additional adjustments. By 0138:35, the rudder angle had reached port 27°, and speed reduction orders were issued.
5. Countermeasures Intensify (0139:20): The pilot coordinated tug efforts to counteract the increasing port RoT, which peaked at 13.6° per minute. Additional tugs were mobilized to assist.
6. Further Steering Adjustments (0139:35): The rudder was moved to hard port (35°) and later adjusted to hard starboard following the pilot’s orders. Despite this, the ship’s port RoT began decreasing slowly.
7. Emergency Declared (0140:00): The pilot declared a Port Emergency and reported the rudder failure to Port Hedland VTS. Main engine orders included moving astern to reduce speed.
8. Grounding (0140:34): The ship’s speed and RoT sharply decreased, but it contacted the channel’s western batter at 6.1 knots. The bow swung to starboard as the vessel came to a stop.
9. Assistance Mobilized: Port Hedland VTS coordinated responses from five additional tugs to assist the distressed vessel.

“Port Hedland is the largest bulk export port in the world, and a grounding in the channel could have significant outcomes not only for the environment and for the safety of those on board, but also for the Australian economy,” said ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell.

The investigation revealed a critical safety issue: while the vessel’s rudder angle indicators met all current international regulations and classification rules, these standards don’t require protection against single-point failures or mandate warning systems for power loss.

In response, the ATSB has issued safety recommendations to multiple maritime authorities, including the Liberia Maritime Authority, Lloyd’s Register, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

The incident also exposed issues with tug procedures, leading to updated guidelines for Port Hedland’s towage operations. The port has since implemented new procedures for tug retention and utilization, with pilots now required to keep forward tugs fast during critical channel sections.

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