Navy criticised for trawler drag

Navy criticised for trawler drag

19 October 2016

A ROYAL Navy submarine which towed an Ardglass trawler backwards during a terrifying incident in April last year endangered the lives of its four-man crew, according to a damning report into the incident.

The MV Karen was dragged backwards at speed in April last year while fishing for prawns off the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.

On the day in question, Navy commanders were unaware of the collision until three hours later after they failed to realise they were passing beneath a fishing vessel with nets rather than a merchant cargo or passenger ship, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report said.

Steve Clinch, chief inspector of marine accidents, said the accident happened because of insufficient passage planning by the submarine’s command team and their failure to follow guidance on fishing vessel avoidance.

“Had the nets not separated from the Karen, it is almost inevitable it would have capsized and sunk,” he said.

“Eighteen months ago, the actions of the command team of a Royal Navy submarine placed the lives of the crew of the trawler Karen in danger. Regrettably, the reluctance of the Royal Navy to fully engage in the subsequent investigation resulted in this report taking significantly longer to deliver than would normally be the case.

“The accident happened because of insufficient passage planning by the submarine’s command team and their failure to follow guidance on fishing vessel avoidance. Had its trawl warps not parted, it is almost inevitable that Karen would have capsized and sunk; the collision also presented a very significant risk to the submarine.”

Part of the prawn trawler’s deck had to be lifted and another section was ripped off, but the terrified four crew escaped unharmed. 

Mr Clinch said lessons learnt after the sinking of a trawler in 1990 had been lost. “As a result, it is now important that the Royal Navy reviews its procedures and training for the safe conduct of dived submarine operations in the same vicinity as vessels engaged in fishing. By its actions, the Royal Navy also needs to rebuild trust with the fishing industry.” 

The crew of the Ardglass trawler managed to release net equipment but the accident caused it to heel heavily to port and its stern was submerged. 

The report continues: “Evidence of the collision on board the submarine was either not observed or misinterpreted. The accident occurred because the submarine’s command team detected no noise of trawling. The submarine was at a depth where it could, if necessary, pass safely beneath a merchant vessel, therefore the command team would not have perceived any risk of collision. As a result, no avoiding action was taken.

“The submarine’s command team had assessed that the majority of shipping contacts in the area were merchant vessels. However, most were actually trawlers; this was predictable and should have been identified as a significant risk to the safety of the submarine and other vessels when preparing the submarine’s passage plan.”

The report says that had the submarine’s command team appreciated the high density of fishing vessels and then followed Royal Navy guidance on fishing vessel avoidance, the accident would have been avoided because the submarine would have been slowed down and returned to periscope depth when the density of shipping increased.

In a statement, the Navy expressed its “regret” for the incident and for the delay in confirming its involvement. It says it has revised its procedures to attempt to reduce future risk.

“We have expressed our regret and remain sorry for the incident and delay in confirming our involvement. We have revised our procedures to reduce the risk that such an incident could happen again. We are reviewing the report’s recommendations and continue to work closely with the maritime community to maximise safety,” it adds.