A Liberian-flagged ship that lost 81 containers overboard off the NSW coast suffered 90 seconds of "heavy rolling" as it drifted in wild weather, according to a preliminary report into the incident.
Key points:
- Ship rolled up to 30 degrees port and starboard during wild weather
- Crew's actions immediately after accident to be scrutinised in next stage of probe
- 50 containers identified on the ocean floor by a hydrographic survey vessel
The 268-metre YM Efficiency was on its way to Port Botany from Taiwan on June 1 when gale-force weather conditions worsened.
An initial report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) reveals the ship was delayed by eight hours and told it could not dock in Sydney until 8:00pm.
The main engine was stopped but restarted for brief periods over several hours to maintain control of the drift.
But at 12:30am, disaster struck when the ship was 16 nautical miles off the coast of Newcastle.
"The ship experienced a period of quick, heavy rolling for about 60 to 90 seconds," the report said.
"The rolling was estimated by the ship's master as having reached angles of up to 30 degrees to port and starboard."
Engineering alarms sounded and the second officer reported hearing "loud noises on deck".
When the deck lights were turned on, the crew's worst fears were confirmed — cargo had been lost overboard.
It wasn't until the morning that a proper assessment could take place and they discovered 81 containers had been lost, and a further 62 were damaged.
Read more on ABC News.
