NTSB Calls for Urgent Implementation of Safety Management Systems on US Passenger Ships

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is once again urging for the implementation of safety management systems (SMS) on all passenger ships sailing under the US flag. Five years after the tragic 2019 Conception submersible fire that claimed the lives of 34 individuals, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Safety Commission, stood alongside the victims’ families to emphasize the need for SMS on passenger vessels like ferries, tour boats, and water taxis. Despite the NTSB’s recommendation for SMS in marine mode dating back 20 years and a specific requirement for small passenger vessels since 2012, there has been a lack of action from the Coast Guard, even though Congress authorized them to enforce SMS in 2010.

Homendy’s remarks were delivered after a gathering at the Conception Memorial in Santa Barbara, California, to mark the fifth anniversary of the tragic incident. The fire on the Conception, a small passenger vessel carrying 33 passengers and a crew of six, resulted in the loss of all passengers and one crew member. The NTSB has been advocating for SMS adoption since issuing a safety advisory to the Coast Guard in 2005, requesting legislative authority to mandate SMS for all U.S.-flag ferry operators, which was granted by Congress in 2010. This recommendation was reiterated following other maritime incidents, including the Island Lady in 2018 and the Conception tragedy in 2019.

In addition to her public statements, Homendy penned a letter to the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Secretary of Homeland Security, urging for the immediate implementation of SMS requirements on passenger vessels. The NTSB stresses that implementing SMS on all passenger ships is crucial for preventing future tragedies like the Conception fire and other maritime accidents that have occurred in the past.

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