SANDY GROUND

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Report: Fire was caused by engine design flaws and insufficient training

The fire aboard the 'Sandy Ground' on Dec 22, 2022, was caused by a combination of engine design flaws and insufficient training for engineering crew members, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed on July 30, 2024. The ferry, carrying 884 passengers, was navigating in New York Harbor between Staten Island and Manhattan. The fire ignited in the engine room, resulting in $12.7 million in damages. Despite the severity, quick action by the crew and assistance from nearby vessels ensured the safe evacuation of all onboard. Following its investigation, the NTSB issued a safety alert and five key recommendations, urging regulatory changes to the design requirements for diesel engine fuel oil return systems. The fire was traced back to actions taken by the ferry’s oilers, who closed both day tank fuel oil return isolation ball valves to manage fuel oil levels. This closure caused the fuel oil system to overpressurize, rupturing the main engine’s fuel oil filters and leading to a spray of fuel oil that caught fire. The delay in shutting down the main engines exacerbated the situation by allowing more fuel oil to spray and intensifying the fire. The 'Sandy Ground', had been in service for only six months at the time of the incident. The Ollis-class ferries were initially built without fuel oil return isolation valves, which were added post-delivery to control day tank fuel oil levels. However, the vessels lacked a mechanism to relieve pressure in the fuel oil return lines when both isolation valves were closed, and the existing relief valves were not connected to independent return lines. These design shortcomings led to the system's overpressurization. In response, the NTSB recommended that the U.S. Coast Guard update its marine engineering regulations to mandate that diesel engine fuel oil return systems on U.S.-flagged vessels either allow unimpeded return flow or include a pressure relief valve. Pending these regulatory updates, the NTSB advised the Coast Guard to provide interim design guidance for new construction diesel engine fuel oil return systems to prevent overpressurization. Additionally, the NTSB urged the classification society American Bureau of Shipping to advocate for these design changes within the International Association of Classification Societies to enhance global maritime safety standards.

Union claims, fire resulted from staffing shortages and lack of training

The fire that broke out on the 'Sandy Ground' on Dec 22, 2022, was the result of staffing shortages and “haphazard training” aboard a new class of vessels, according to a letter sent by a union representing ferry workers. The blaze, which injured five people and forced the evacuation of more than 800 passengers, began in the engine room. one of three new ferries the city recently purchased for $300 million. In a letter to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Union accused the city of skipping out on safety training for crew members and neglecting to mention a key change in the fuel return procedures that may have sparked the fire. The union, which represents much of the Staten Island ferry crew, called on the Coast Guard to investigate the “unfortunate deterioration of safety culture” within the ferry system, specifically the lack of training for those working aboard the trio of new boats, known as Ollis-class vessels. “Training was not provided, due to staffing shortages especially in the engine room, which management dealt with by requiring crew members to perform their regular operational duties instead of participating in the new vessel training,” the letter claimed. A preliminary investigation by the Coast Guard pinned the fire on a fuel leak. City officials said they have received assurance from the Coast Guard that the Ollis-class vessels are safe to run. But according to the union, a “quirk” in the new boats means the standard fuel procedures aboard other ferries does not apply to the new vessels. They said workers were never given a heads up about the change. "An engine room crew member closed the fuel return on the Sandy Ground on Dec 22, leading to the fuel filter leaks and the fire, perhaps in the mistaken belief that fuel return procedures on the Ollis-class vessels were the same as other vessels. Apparently, this accumulation of errors came to a head on the Sandy Ground,” the union wrote. The Department of Transportation said the agency has not received any safety recommendations from the Coast Guard or the National Transportation Safety Board since the letter was sent.

Investigation: Fire was caused by fuel leak

After a fire broke out aboard the 'Sandy Ground' in pos. 40 39 15 N, 074 03 12 W, in Staten Island, New York, on Dec 22, a preliminary investigation of the US Coast Guard found out that the fire resulted from a fuel leak in the engine room of the vessel. The fire resulted in five injuries, with three people being transported to local hospitals, though all injuries were considered to be minor. In the days following the incident, the Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella called for a full investigation into the incident. The fire suppression system acted as designed by extinguishing the fire and locking the air-tight engine room doors. The investigation was still ongoing in Staten Island.