NTSB Opens Public Docket in Scandies Rose Sinking

The National Transportation Safety Board has opened the public docket from its ongoing investigation into the fatal 2019 New Year’s Eve sinking of the fishing vessel Scandies Rose in Alaska.

Five crew members went missing and were presumed killed when the vessel sank approximately 2.5 miles south of Sutwik Island, Alaska on December 31, 2019. Two were rescued after the accident.

The docket for the investigation includes more than 4,500 pages of factual information, including interview transcripts, photographs and other investigative materials. It contains only factual information collected by NTSB investigators and there are no conclusions about how or why the Scandies Rose sank.

The probable cause, analysis and recommendations will be released at a public board meeting on the Scandies Rose scheduled for June 29. The full final report will be released in the weeks after the board meeting.

The loss of the Scandies Rose marked the worst accident to hit Alaska’s commercial fishing industry since the sinking of the F/V Destination with the loss of all six crew members in February 2017.

The Coast Guard previously convened a Marine Board of Investigation concluding in March to consider evidence related to the accident. Over the course of the 10-day hearing, the board heard from 43 witnesses who provided testimony into the conditions influencing the vessel prior to and at the time of the casualty.

The Marine Board of Investigation is expected to compile its findings into a report of investigation which will be publicly released after the Coast Guard Commandant evaluates recommendations and releases a final action memo outlining the Coast Guard’s position on the Board’s recommendations.

The Scandies Rose public docket can be found on the NTSB’s website.

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