On March 10, off the North Sea coast near Hull, the United Kingdom, the U.S. flagged oil tanker Stena Immaculate was stuck in a T-bone collision by the Portuguese flagged container ship Solong.
The Stena Immaculate was loaded with A1 jet fuel and the two ships burst into flames. One Solong crew member went over the side and is presumed lost. The Stena crew took to their lifeboats and abandoned ship after several of the tanker’s fuel tanks exploded. All crew were rescued safely. The ship was destroyed.
The accident occurred in limited visibility as a low bank of wispy fog hung over the anchorage where the Stena was moored. The Solong entered the area steaming at 16 knots and video from the ship’s bridge shows that it did not slow down or take evasive action as it quickly approached the Stena.
In the early aftermath, the questions being asked by investigators focused on whether or not the Solong was watching its AIS, which should have alerted the bridge crew that a collision was imminent.
The two ships became locked together for a short time as flames rose into the air. Eventually, the Solong was able to break free and began drifting away, still on fire.
The Stena Immaculate was on charter to the U.S. Military to deliver jet fuel to England. The ship carries a U.S. Department of Transportation designation as being critical to the nation’s national security and is covered by the U.S. Tanker Sercurity Program. Of the thousands of tankers afloat, the Stena is one of only 10 to carry the designation.
The inquiry into the collision is ongoing and the Stena Immaculate is a total loss. The captain of the Solong has been arrested and charged in the accident.
