NTSB: COVID Fatigue Probable Cause Of Allision

A towing vessel captain’s extreme fatigue, made worse by a COVID-19 infection, was the probable cause of an allision between his vessel and a Coast Guard dock at Cape Disappointment near Ilwaco, Wash., according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The report was released December 12.

On September 11, 2024, the towing vessel Schweiger was transiting the Baker Bay West Channel near Ilwaco, Wash., when it struck the U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment docks about 12:36 p.m. local time, after it veered out of the channel. There were no injuries. About 20 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the waterway as a result of the contact. The Schweiger was undamaged. Damage to the station infrastructure, including the lifeboat dock, was estimated to exceed $750,000.

The NTSB report said the Schweiger struck the dock’s wave barrier while traveling at 7 knots, breaking through the barrier and damaging a floating dock and associated pilings along with fuel and electrical systems located behind the barrier. At the time there were two, 47-foot-long Coast Guard lifeboats and a smaller 25-foot-long patrol boat moored to the flooding dock that moved when the Schweiger struck it but were not damaged.

The captain told investigators that at some point before the contact he “just fell asleep at the helm.” He said that the impact woke him, and he was able to reverse the vessel back into the channel. The deckhand, the only other member of the two-person crew, was in the galley, established communication with the captain, checked the vessel for damage and assisted the captain in making notifications to a shoreside supervisor.

Following the contact, the captain and deckhand both tested negative for alcohol and other drugs. The captain told investigators that on the previous night he felt ill and experienced “a touch of dizziness.” To combat the symptoms, he took several 2-milligram tablets of ivermectin, an unprescribed medication provided by his friend. The captain also regularly took two medications prescribed by doctors that had been previously disclosed to the Coast Guard during his medical certification process. The captain said he felt normal again during the morning.

On the same day as the contact, after submitting samples for the required Department of Transportation drug testing, the captain checked into an urgent care facility because he was experiencing flu-like symptoms. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 and a “partial collapse of the airspaces of the lung.” He was treated with medication and released.

The captain’s 96-hour work/rest history indicated he had eight hours of sleep each night in the previous two nights prior to the casualty and maintained a consistent sleep and awake cycle.

The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the contact was the captain falling asleep while navigating the vessel, likely due to increased fatigue caused by an acute COVID-19 infection.

In its recommendation, the NTSB cautioned, “For the safety of the crew, equipment and vessel, use of medication in conjunction with the operation of a vessel must be done with caution. Mariners should be aware of any adverse side effects of medications that impact their ability to perform their duties. Mariners should never use medications with which they are unfamiliar or for which they are not the prescribed user.”

The Schweiger was built in 1979 and is owned by American Advanced Construction Inc. The vessel did not have a pilothouse alerter system installed, nor was one required for towing vessels of less than 65 feet, according to the NTSB. The Schweiger is 60 feet long.