MAIB: Fishing Vessel Foundered off Falklands Due to Failed Shell Door

 

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has released a report on the sinking of the fishing vessel Argos Georgia, which went down off the coast of the Falkland Islands in 2024 with the loss of 13 lives. 

On July 21, 2024, the 2018-built fishing vessel Argos Georgia got underway from Port Stanley, Falkland Islands and headed out to her fishing grounds with 27 crewmembers on board. On Monday afternoon, she reported a serious flooding incident at a position about 200 miles to the east of the port. As rescue assets mobilized to the scene, the situation on board deteriorated, and the crew was forced to abandon ship into their life rafts. The vessel sank after they departed. 

Some of the vessel's crew were lost at sea during the abandon-ship evolution, and some of the evacuees passed away due to exposure in the liferafts while waiting for a rescue. Ultimately 14 out of 27 survived and were returned to shore. 

MAIB launched an investigation into the cause of the sinking, and quickly focused in on problems with the shell door (exterior hatch) within the hauling compartment for the trawler's nets. CCTV cameras captured footage of the shell door closed in its elevated position, then slowly descending, allowing water to flood into the compartment. 

Once opened, the door was too difficult for crewmembers to close, and water flowed freely in. The hatches from the hauling compartment into the interior of the vessel were also open, and the water poured inside, putting Argos Georgia into a significant list and leading to progressive downflooding. 

The MAIB swiftly turned around an interim warning to all fishing vessel operators to check on their side shell doors and evaluate the risk of shell door failure - including the risk of progressive flooding through hatches and penetrations into other compartments.

MAIB also launched an evaluation of Argos Georgia's shell door design, using finite element analysis engineering. The review found an "unacceptable level of stress and potential failure of the shell door drive shaft, coupling and key" during operations. If the opening/closing mechanism failed during operation, there was no backstop and the door would lower to the open position. 

In July, MAIB recommended that the designer revise this design and share the findings with other vessel operators that have similar shell doors installed. The final report's findings are coming soon.