NTSB Safety Recommendation M-09-18

December 15, 2009: The National Transportation Safety Board makes the following safety recommendation to Atlanship: Provide your officers recurrent training in the principles of bridge resource management that encourage and emphasize correct and unambiguous communication, information management, role responsibility, and contingency planning.

According to NTSB, the recommendation addresses the training of the crew of the fruit juice carrier M/V Orange Sun and other vessels that Atlanship, S.A., operates. The recommendation derives from the NTSB’s investigation of the January 24, 2008, allision of the Orange Sun with the dredge New York in Newark Bay, New Jersey, United States of America, and is consistent with the evidence we found and the analysis we performed. Information supporting the recommendation is discussed below. The NTSB would appreciate a response from you within 90 days addressing the actions you have taken or intend to take to implement our recommendation.

The complete recommendation letter is available by clicking HERE.

An archive of recommendation letters is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/letters.htm. Electronic versions of letters may or may not include enclosures; however, related publications, accident briefs, and aviation accident synopses may be found on the NTSB website.