On October 9, 2023, the Ocean Navigator passenger vessel owned by Victory Cruise Lines began a 10-night cruise from Montreal, Canada, to Boston, Massachusetts, with 128 passengers and 82 crewmembers aboard. Nine days later, at about 7:00 am, the vessel was docked in Portland, Maine, when a fire broke out in the engine room.
The NTSB released a report this week that traced the fire to debris in the engine's lube oil system, which led to a catastrophic mechanical failure in the no. 2 auxiliary diesel generator engine. The fire injured a crewmember, but it self-extinguished after the crew ventilated the engine room. Still, the incident caused some $2.4 million in damage.
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Just before the fire, two crewmen were performing maintenance in the engine room when they discovered a small lube oil leak on the no. 2 auxiliary engine. The third engineer told the NTSB, "The bolt was loose as we [could] see it turning." The pair ran to get tools to tighten the bolt, but when they returned and sat beside the engine, "it exploded and fire immediately spread across and above the generator." The motorman's coveralls caught fire and he suffered burns on about 40% of his body.
Third-party technicians were brought in following the fire to tear down the engine and they found significant damage.
NTSB investigators determined that the debris in the engine's lube oil system, which caused the engine failure, was possibly caused by the crew exceeding manufacturer-recommended intervals for changing the lube oil and oil filter.
The crew last changed the entire quantity of lube oil for the engine in September 2022, about 13 months before the engine failure. However, the engine operated for more than 5,000 hours with this lube oil, five times longer than the manufacturer's recommendation. Since the filter was changed in May 2023, the engine had run more than 3,000 hours, three times longer than recommended.
"Manufacturers provide maintenance recommendations and intervals (schedules) to ensure equipment operates safely, optimally and reliably throughout its service life," the NTSB said.
The NTSB did note that the crew's quick action prevented the fire from spreading.
The 300-foot-long passenger vessel was built in 2004 at Atlantic Marine Shipyard in Jacksonville, Florida.
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X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:0
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On October 9, 2023, the Ocean Navigator
passenger vessel owned by Victory Cruise Lines
00:06.039 --> 00:09.600
began a 10 night cruise from Montreal, Canada
to Boston,
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Massachusetts with 128 passengers and 82 crew
members aboard.
00:15.939 --> 00:20.139
9 days later at about 7 a.m., the vessel was
docked in Portland,
00:20.219 --> 00:25.889
Maine when a fire broke out in the engine room.
The NTSB released a report this week that
00:25.889 --> 00:29.690
traced the fire to debris in the engine's lube
oil system,
00:29.899 --> 00:35.020
which led to a catastrophic mechanical failure
in the #2 auxiliary diesel generator engine.
00:35.380 --> 00:39.919
The fire injured a crew member, but it itself
extinguished after the crew ventilated the
00:39.919 --> 00:45.259
engine room.
Still, the incident caused some $2.4 million in
00:45.259 --> 00:48.500
damage.
Just before the fire, two crewmen were
00:48.500 --> 00:53.060
performing maintenance in the engine room when
they discovered a small lube oil leak on the
00:53.060 --> 00:54.619
number two auxiliary engine.
00:55.080 --> 01:01.139
The 3 engineer told the NTSB, quote, The bolt
was loose as we could see it turning.
01:01.349 --> 01:06.190
The pair ran to get tools to tighten the bolt,
but when they returned and sat beside the
01:06.190 --> 01:12.260
engine, it exploded and fire immediately spread
across and above the generator.
01:12.470 --> 01:18.269
The fire set the motorman's coveralls on fire,
and he suffered burns to about 40% of his body.
01:18.580 --> 01:21.260
Third party technicians were brought in
following the fire.
01:21.540 --> 01:24.580
Tear down the engine and they found significant
damage.
01:24.769 --> 01:29.440
NTSB investigators determined that the debris
in the engine lube's oil system,
01:29.650 --> 01:35.489
which caused the engine failure was possibly
caused by the crew exceeding manufacturer
01:35.489 --> 01:39.040
recommended intervals for changing the lube oil
and oil filter.
01:39.209 --> 01:44.930
The crew last changed the entire quantity of
lube oil for the engine in September 2022,
01:45.050 --> 01:47.860
about 13 months before the engine failure.
01:48.379 --> 01:52.989
However, the engine operated for more than 5000
hours with this lube oil,
01:53.260 --> 01:56.809
5 times longer than the manufacturer's
recommendation.
01:57.139 --> 02:01.980
Since the filter was changed in May 23, the
engine had run more than 3000 hours,
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3 times longer than recommended.
In the reports,
02:05.110 --> 02:10.940
the NTSB said, quote, manufacturers provide
maintenance recommendations and intervals to
02:10.940 --> 02:12.899
ensure equipment operates safely.
02:13.434 --> 02:18.994
Optimally and reliably throughout its service
life, NTSB did note that the crew's quick
02:18.994 --> 02:24.395
action prevented the fire from spreading.
The 300 ft long passenger vessel was originally
02:24.395 --> 02:29.304
built in 2004 at Atlantic Marine Shipyard in
Jacksonville, Florida.
02:29.634 --> 02:32.315
I'm David Manti.
This is manufacturing now.
