Ken Kurtis
Contributor
NTSB report, Bonaire, PST, and more
(please scroll down for details)
There IS joy in Mudville. Mighty Adames has struck out. Go Dodgers!!! One more . . .
NTSB REPORT ON CONCEPTION FIRE - I will deal with this in more detail in the November newsletter, but for now, I'm just going to quote from the official NTSB press release (red letters) following last week's report and Board meeting. Bear in mind this has implications for ALL small commercial passenger vessels, not just diving. So this impacts fishing and other vessels as well.
"The NTSB called for all vessels similar to the Conception with overnight accommodations to be required to have interconnected smoke detectors in all passenger areas. It also recommended that a secondary means of escape lead into a different space than the primary exit, in case a single fire blocks both escape paths. The NTSB also called on the U.S. Coast Guard to develop and implement an inspection program to verify that roving patrols are conducted – as required – for the safety of sleeping passengers and crew.
"NTSB investigators found the absence of a required roving patrol on the Conception likely delayed the initial detection of the fire, allowed for its growth, precluded firefighting and evacuation efforts and directly led to the high number of fatalities in the accident.
“The Conception may have passed all Coast Guard inspections, but that did not make it safe,” said NTSB Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt. “Our new recommendations will make these vessels safer, but there is no rule change that can replace human vigilance.”
"The NTSB also reiterated its call for small passenger vessels to be required to implement a safety management system to improve the safety culture of vessel owners and operators.
"While the Conception had smoke detectors in the below-deck berthing area, they were not connected to each other or the wheelhouse, and there were no smoke detectors in the salon, the common area above the sleeping quarters where investigators believe the fire started. Because of the fire damage to Conception, which burned to the water line and then sank, there was little physical evidence for investigators to establish exactly how, when and where the fire started.
"During Tuesday’s virtual board meeting, the NTSB determined the probable cause of the fire and subsequent sinking was the failure of Truth Aquatics, Inc., the owner and operator of Conception, to provide effective oversight of its vessel and crewmember operations, including requirements to ensure that a roving patrol was maintained, which allowed a fire of unknown cause to grow, undetected, in the vicinity of the aft salon on the main deck.
"Contributing to the undetected growth of the fire was the lack of a Coast Guard regulatory requirement for smoke detection in all accommodation spaces. Contributing to the high loss of life were the inadequate emergency escape arrangements from the vessel’s bunkroom, as both exited into a compartment that was engulfed in fire, thereby preventing escape."
A synopsis of the investigation’s findings and recommendations is available online at https://go.usa.gov/x7a7G.
SOCORRO IS OPEN AGAIN - Yahoo!!! Socorro (more correctly the Revillagigedo Islands) has re-opened for diving. This allows all boats that go there to start their seasons just a tad early, which is especially welcome since Guadalupe, where they'd all be wrapping up the shark season, is still closed. Our friends at Nautilus Liveaboards have a special combo trip planned to kick things off that will include the Magdalena Bay Sardine Run and Socorro. It's a 16-day trip on Nautilus Belle Amie leaving November 13. It ain't cheap but it looks interesting. You can find out more here: NAUTILUS COMBO TRIP.
WE SUDDENLY HAVE A SPOT OPEN ON OUR JANUARY SOCORRO TRIP - We just had a last-minute cancellation on our January 13-22 Socorro trip. It's in the premium cabin (upper deck) and is female-share. If you're interested, call us at 310/652-4990.
BONAIRE IS RE-OPENING - Bonaire has announced they're re-opening for tourists from the U.S., as well as Canada and Curacao, effective Monday (October 26). You must arrive with a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of your departure. However, the fly in the ointment is that there aren't any flights from the U.S. into Bonaire at the moment. Not sure when those will resume. But if you can get there, they'd love to have you.
DDT DUMPED IN THE OCEAN - This is a must-read even if you're not a diver. Front page of the L.A. Times Sunday morning: DDT DUMPED IN THE OCEAN.
ROLL CLOCKS BACK AN HOUR - Standard time now starts the first Sunday after Halloween so don't forget to roll the clocks back one hour this coming Sunday. Any chance we could roll the clocks back a year????
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week, wash your hands, wear your mask, don't forget to vote (where early voting or vote-by-mail is available), and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
(please scroll down for details)
There IS joy in Mudville. Mighty Adames has struck out. Go Dodgers!!! One more . . .
NTSB REPORT ON CONCEPTION FIRE - I will deal with this in more detail in the November newsletter, but for now, I'm just going to quote from the official NTSB press release (red letters) following last week's report and Board meeting. Bear in mind this has implications for ALL small commercial passenger vessels, not just diving. So this impacts fishing and other vessels as well.
"The NTSB called for all vessels similar to the Conception with overnight accommodations to be required to have interconnected smoke detectors in all passenger areas. It also recommended that a secondary means of escape lead into a different space than the primary exit, in case a single fire blocks both escape paths. The NTSB also called on the U.S. Coast Guard to develop and implement an inspection program to verify that roving patrols are conducted – as required – for the safety of sleeping passengers and crew.
"NTSB investigators found the absence of a required roving patrol on the Conception likely delayed the initial detection of the fire, allowed for its growth, precluded firefighting and evacuation efforts and directly led to the high number of fatalities in the accident.
“The Conception may have passed all Coast Guard inspections, but that did not make it safe,” said NTSB Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt. “Our new recommendations will make these vessels safer, but there is no rule change that can replace human vigilance.”
"The NTSB also reiterated its call for small passenger vessels to be required to implement a safety management system to improve the safety culture of vessel owners and operators.
"While the Conception had smoke detectors in the below-deck berthing area, they were not connected to each other or the wheelhouse, and there were no smoke detectors in the salon, the common area above the sleeping quarters where investigators believe the fire started. Because of the fire damage to Conception, which burned to the water line and then sank, there was little physical evidence for investigators to establish exactly how, when and where the fire started.
"During Tuesday’s virtual board meeting, the NTSB determined the probable cause of the fire and subsequent sinking was the failure of Truth Aquatics, Inc., the owner and operator of Conception, to provide effective oversight of its vessel and crewmember operations, including requirements to ensure that a roving patrol was maintained, which allowed a fire of unknown cause to grow, undetected, in the vicinity of the aft salon on the main deck.
"Contributing to the undetected growth of the fire was the lack of a Coast Guard regulatory requirement for smoke detection in all accommodation spaces. Contributing to the high loss of life were the inadequate emergency escape arrangements from the vessel’s bunkroom, as both exited into a compartment that was engulfed in fire, thereby preventing escape."
A synopsis of the investigation’s findings and recommendations is available online at https://go.usa.gov/x7a7G.
SOCORRO IS OPEN AGAIN - Yahoo!!! Socorro (more correctly the Revillagigedo Islands) has re-opened for diving. This allows all boats that go there to start their seasons just a tad early, which is especially welcome since Guadalupe, where they'd all be wrapping up the shark season, is still closed. Our friends at Nautilus Liveaboards have a special combo trip planned to kick things off that will include the Magdalena Bay Sardine Run and Socorro. It's a 16-day trip on Nautilus Belle Amie leaving November 13. It ain't cheap but it looks interesting. You can find out more here: NAUTILUS COMBO TRIP.
WE SUDDENLY HAVE A SPOT OPEN ON OUR JANUARY SOCORRO TRIP - We just had a last-minute cancellation on our January 13-22 Socorro trip. It's in the premium cabin (upper deck) and is female-share. If you're interested, call us at 310/652-4990.
BONAIRE IS RE-OPENING - Bonaire has announced they're re-opening for tourists from the U.S., as well as Canada and Curacao, effective Monday (October 26). You must arrive with a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of your departure. However, the fly in the ointment is that there aren't any flights from the U.S. into Bonaire at the moment. Not sure when those will resume. But if you can get there, they'd love to have you.
DDT DUMPED IN THE OCEAN - This is a must-read even if you're not a diver. Front page of the L.A. Times Sunday morning: DDT DUMPED IN THE OCEAN.
ROLL CLOCKS BACK AN HOUR - Standard time now starts the first Sunday after Halloween so don't forget to roll the clocks back one hour this coming Sunday. Any chance we could roll the clocks back a year????
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week, wash your hands, wear your mask, don't forget to vote (where early voting or vote-by-mail is available), and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
