Index Number: |
Title: |
2013_003 |
Ship grounding in a protected area due to bad ENC - ship was finally decommissioned. |
Day | Month | Year | Country | Activity | Incident Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
17 | January | 2013 | United States | Defence | Human error |
The ship was a mine countermeasures ship, part of the Avenger-class in the United States Navy, 68m long and 12m wide. She was built in the mid-1980s.
According to sources, in January 2013, after a port of call, the vessel ran aground on a protected reef in the Philippines during a transit. Discrepancies in Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) mislocated the reef, playing a significant role in the mishap.
The grounding of the ship on the reef had substantial implications. Due to challenges in recovery and risks of further reef damage, the ship was decommissioned a month post the incident. Measures to minimize environmental impact included segmenting the ship into pieces and removing it section by section. The incident led to the U.S. compensating the Philippines for reef damages and associated costs. The U.S. Navy ultimately decided to scrap the vessel, for an estimated cost of $277 million.
US Navy
N/A
Undisclosed
Availability