The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has identified a critical error made by a harbor pilot as the cause of a tanker colliding with a refinery pier during a routine undocking maneuver in California. The incident occurred on October 14, 2024, when the 820-foot crude oil tanker Platanos was leaving the Martinez Refining Company Wharf. Around 4:12 a.m. local time, the vessel’s port side struck a concrete structure, resulting in over $500,000 in damages, though no injuries or pollution were reported.
The NTSB found that the pilot mistakenly switched the positions of two assist tugs on his reference card, leading to incorrect commands being issued. The routine maneuver involved two tractor tugs on the tanker’s starboard side to counteract a 1.9-knot ebb current, with the pilot aiming to pull the stern away from the dock faster than the bow. However, the miscommunication between commands instead caused the stern to drift toward the pier, leading to the collision.
Despite the pilot’s extensive experience, including a familiarity with the docking procedure and the vessel, investigators noted he was sleep-deprived, having only gotten about 4.5 hours of rest before the maneuver. This added factor might have influenced his attention, but it was not deemed the primary cause of the incident. Ultimately, the NTSB concluded the allision was primarily due to the pilot’s error in transposing the tug positions during the critical maneuver.
