Cargo ship loses 40 container off the NSW coast Investigation underway

The ATSB is investigating the loss of containers overboard from APL England in heavy weather, about 37 NM east-south-east of Sydney, NSW, on 24 May 2020.

At 0610 AEST, during heavy weather, the vessel’s main engine tripped, resulting in loss of propulsion for a short time. During this period, the vessel was rolling heavily—up to 25°—causing an unknown number of containers to fall on deck and into the sea.

The ATSB will investigate the loss of containers from the
container ship APL England about 70 km SE of Sydney on Sunday. Investigators will meet the vessel when it arrives in port to survey damage to the vessel and container stacks, interview the crew and retrieve recorded data. pic.twitter.com/1oYUyte6fd

— ATSB (@atsbgovau) May 24, 2020

As part of the investigation, investigators will attend the ship upon its safe arrival into port, and collect relevant evidence including interviewing directly involved parties.

Should any safety-critical information be discovered at any time during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify operators and regulators so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken.

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A final report will be published at the conclusion of the investigation.