Marine accident report - grounding of United States Tankship SS MOBILOIL, in the Columbia River near Saint Helens, Oregon, March 19, 1984
About 0006 P.S.T. on March 19, 1984, the fully loaded 618-foot-long United States tankship SS MOBILOIL experienced a steering gear malfunction and grounded in the Columbia River on the right ascending bank about 1 mile upstream from Saint Helens, Oregon. There were no injuries to the 36 persons aboard, but five cargo tanks and the forepeak tank were ruptured, and more than 170,000 gallons of oil polluted the river and its shores. The cleanup cost of the oil spill was estimated to be $3 million, and the cost of the repair to the ship was estimated to be $5 million. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the grounding of the United States tankship SS MOBILOIL was a steering gear failure caused by the disconnection of the control linkage to the starboard steering gear pump when an improperly secured clevis pin vibrated loose while the pump was in the full starboard stroke position, which held the rudder at the 25 degrees right position.
- Research Organization:
- National Transportation Safety Board, Washington, DC (USA). Bureau of Accident Investigation
- OSTI ID:
- 5742109
- Report Number(s):
- PB-84-916409/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COLUMBIA RIVER
OIL SPILLS
WATER POLLUTION
TANKER SHIPS
ACCIDENTS
DAMAGE
OREGON
FEDERAL REGION X
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
RIVERS
SHIPS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)