NTSB Releases Marine Accident Brief on Collision of Oil Tanker with Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit
Damage to the FR8 Pride, including the puncture to the hull below the waterline, visible in the lower center of the image.
On May 2, 2012, at 0718, the oil tanker FR8 Pride collided with the mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) Rowan EXL I in Aransas Pass, Corpus Christi, Texas. No one was injured in the collision, but the two vessels sustained an estimated $16–17 million in damage.
After the collision and within the timeframes required by Coast Guard regulations, the FR8 Pride pilot and crew, and the pilot on board the lead tugboat for the Rowan EXL I, were tested for drugs and alcohol. All results were negative.
The extensive damage to the port side of the Rowan EXL I, including its destroyed survival crafts
(orange-colored) near the center of the photo.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the collision of oil tanker FR8 Pride with MODU Rowan EXL I was the failure of the FR8 Pride’s main propulsion engine, which resulted in reduced maneuverability of the ship.