NTSB spots issues with secondhand cars

IGNITION KEY

INCIDENT REPORT • NTSB HAS CALLED ON PHMSA TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT THE TRANSPORT OF USED VEHICLES FOLLOWING ITS INVESTIGATION OF A FIRE ABOARD A CAR CARRIER IN 2020

AN ELECTRICAL FAULT from an improperly disconnected battery in a used vehicle led to the fire aboard the vehicle carrier Höegh Xiamen in June 2020, resulting in $40m worth of damages, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has said. The fire took hold after the vehicles were loaded aboard the vessel in Jacksonville, Florida; nine firefighters were injured in the fire, which took more than a week to extinguish. The vessel itself and its cargo of 2,420 used vehicles were declared a total loss. The ship was subsequently towed to Turkey for demolition.

Following its investigation, NTSB concluded that many of the vehicles loaded onto the vessel had batteries that were not disconnected and secured in accordance with procedures, which increased the risk of electrical arcing and component faults. During loading operations, both the loading personnel and crew missed opportunities to address these hazards.

The investigation also showed that the detection of the fire was delayed because the vessel’s fire detection systems had not yet been reactivated after loading was completed. Additionally, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department’s response to the accident was delayed because the Höegh Xiamen’s master did not immediately have available contact information for search and rescue authorities and did not know how to report a fire to local authorities.

NTSB determined that the probable cause of the fire was a lack of effective oversight of longshoremen by Grimaldi Deep Sea, charterer of the vessel, and SSA Atlantic, its stevedoring contractor. This failed to ensure that Grimaldi’s vehicle battery securement procedures were being followed. Further, the crew delayed reactivating the vessel’s fire detection system after the completion of loading. Contributing to the extent of the fire was the master’s decision to delay the release of the carbon dioxide fixed fire extinguishing system.

WHAT’S TO BE DONE In the wake of its investigation, NTSB has recommended that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) look at the current regulations for the transport of vehicles. “The transportation of used vehicles, such as those that were loaded on vessels like the Höegh Xiamen, is currently excepted from Hazardous Materials Regulations when a vessel has a stowage area specifically designed and approved for carrying vehicles,” NTSB said in its report. “We found that used vehicles are often damaged and present an elevated risk of fire. We believe that greater inspection, oversight, and enforcement are needed to reduce this risk.”

NTSB notes that there have been five similar incidents since 2015, including a fire in 2019 aboard Grimaldi’s Grande Europa. On the basis of its experience, Grimaldi developed a battery disconnect procedure to reduce the risk of vehicle fires during transport. This procedure was used on Höegh Xiamen; however, the Coast Guard’s post-accident examination of a sample of 59 vehicles did not find a single battery that was secured in accordance with that procedure.

“The circumstances of this accident make clear that it is critical to ensure that the batteries of used vehicles are disconnected and properly secured during cargo loading operations,” the report says. “NTSB believes it is imperative that operators of similar roll-on/ roll-off vessels engaged in the transportation of used vehicles act to ensure that any personnel involved in loading operations –including vessel crews, stevedores, and longshoremen - be aware of the importance of disconnecting batteries on used vehicles.” The full NTSB report can be downloaded at www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/ Reports/MAR2104.pdf.