QM2 Capacitor Failure 23 Sep 10 - MAIB Report Published

[Cruachan]

Those of you of a technical turn of mind may be interested in the MAIB report into the catastrophic failure of a capacitor in the aft harmonic filter room on QM2 while approaching Barcelona on 23 September 2010.

 

The full report (very lengthy), can be found here:

 

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/QM2Webreport.pdf

 

J

[alaska_planner]

Those of you of a technical turn of mind may be interested in the MAIB report into the catastrophic failure of a capacitor in the aft harmonic filter room on QM2 while approaching Barcelona on 23 September 2010.

 

The full report (very lengthy), can be found here:

 

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/QM2Webreport.pdf

 

J

 

very interesting!! thanks for posting..

i've only read the conclusions so far, but it's rather disturbing reading..

[missfrankiecat]

Personally, I find it rather more disrurbing that such events won't in future be subject to scrutiny by the British Merchant shipping authority and publication of such details will no longer be required now QM sails under a flag of convenience.

[Oahucruiser]

Fascinating but frightening report. I learned a lot. Thank you!

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report, it was interesting.

[Ubarrow]

A fascinating report which is relevant to anyone who has an interest in the power management of QM2.

 

It appears that all power was lost for about 1 hour and that during this time the ship could not be steered or controlled. I'm just wondering what would have happened had this occurred last week in the Atlantic storm?

[Cruachan]

...I'm just wondering what would have happened had this occurred last week in the Atlantic storm?

 

If you want to get some sense of what it would have been like, take a look at the video below. This was Voyager in a Mediterranean storm after she lost power when a wave smashed the bridge windows and flooded all the controls. Bear in mind that she is a much smaller ship than QM2, but this serves to illustrate quite nicely, I think, the behaviour of a ship without power and not under command in severe weather conditions.

 

 

J

[MKMC]

Thanks so much for the report . We were on this sailing and note that the ship was late arriving in Brooklyn where we boarded because there had been a power failure in Quebec. I think it is significant that there was this power failure just before our voyage.

We woke up in the middle of the night drifting with no power. The passengersw were given no explanation other than some shore excursions would not take place in Barcelona and that the problem would be fixed there. The whole incident has made us question our trust in Cunard--and this all took place under the watch of Bernard Warner.

[Tinytim84]

Personally, I find it rather more disrurbing that such events won't in future be subject to scrutiny by the British Merchant shipping authority and publication of such details will no longer be required now QM sails under a flag of convenience.

 

 

Wrong. The MAIB will still have to investigate any serious incident as it would have when the ships were flagged with the MCA.

 

If anything the Bermudans are stricter!

[Cruachan]

Wrong. The MAIB will still have to investigate any serious incident as it would have when the ships were flagged with the MCA.

 

If anything the Bermudans are stricter!

 

That's quite correct. Bermuda, as a UK Overseas Territory, is a member of the "Red Ensign Group" and, as such any accident on board or involving a ship on the Bermudan Register will be investigated by the MAIB in exactly the same way as a ship on the UK Register. The Bermuda Flag is also extremely highly rated in terms of its safety record. As I posted on another thread in this forum some time ago, for 2010 it was the top rated flag under the Paris Memorandum of Understanding.

 

J

[Tinytim84]

That's quite correct. Bermuda, as a UK Overseas Territory, is a member of the "Red Ensign Group" and, as such any accident on board or involving a ship on the Bermudan Register will be investigated by the MAIB in exactly the same way as a ship on the UK Register. The Bermuda Flag is also extremely highly rated in terms of its safety record. As I posted on another thread in this forum some time ago, for 2010 it was the top rated flag under the Paris Memorandum of Understanding.

 

J

 

Thank you!

 

Anyway, the report does make fascinating reading and goes to show just how complex modern vessels are!

[missfrankiecat]

Wrong. The MAIB will still have to investigate any serious incident as it would have when the ships were flagged with the MCA.

 

If anything the Bermudans are stricter!

 

Happy to be corrected if this is the case. My understanding was that MAIB only examines and investigates marine accidents to or on board UK ships worldwide, and other ships in UK territorial waters, unless there are contractual provisions to the contrary. If you look at pending investigations I think none involve Burmudan registered vessels - although several have been involved in incidents recently. I am surprised that QM2 would be any different post re-flagging.

[Cruachan]

I think someone has the wrong end of the stick!!!! If you look at the video you can clearly see she is still under power. The prop wash is unmistakably visible.

,

 

Well, every report of that particular incident that I have read stated that the ship lost all power for a period ranging from several hours to almost a full day (depending on which source you read). The ship was designed to work in the Baltic where such conditions are rare and the Bridge was set very low in the superstructure and quite close to the bow so it was basically an accident waiting to happen. I'm not entirely convinced that what you see at the stern of the ship is "prop wash". I think it could simply be white water displaced outward at the stern by the pitching and rolling of the hull. You can see a similar thing happening along the side of the ship visible from the helicopter.

 

I suppose it's also possible that the video was taken after power was partially restored and the ship was making for Cagliari in Sardinia. Anyway, power or no power, I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be on board under those conditions.

 

J

[Ubarrow]

Have just seen "industry expert" speculating that the tragic sinking of Costa Concordia might be due to a similar power loss.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/14/costa-concordia-power-failure-could-be-responsible-says-sea-industry-expert_n_1206158.html?1326547045&ref=uk

[Leucothea]

Was there ever any consideration of sabotage, I wonder? Why would a corporation allow such things to happen and not be more vigilent? It's certainly not good for the "bottom line".

[violetta58]

Thanks so much for the report . We were on this sailing and note that the ship was late arriving in Brooklyn where we boarded because there had been a power failure in Quebec. I think it is significant that there was this power failure just before our voyage.

We woke up in the middle of the night drifting with no power. The passengersw were given no explanation other than some shore excursions would not take place in Barcelona and that the problem would be fixed there. The whole incident has made us question our trust in Cunard--and this all took place under the watch of Bernard Warner.

 

Hi

I too was on th Qm2 on this sailing and posted a live report on this forum which was quoted on the home page. Th Maib report was posted on this site approx 6 months ago and it was only then we knew how serious the situation was. We were lucky in that we had clear guidance from the captain to the crew (I listened to all the announcements from our balcony ) and we were able to regain power in an hour or so and limp into Barcelona where we stayed until midnight awaiting assessors and repairs. We were told it was an electrical problem which in a sense it was and how would it have helped us to know it was an explosion??. I did say I wanted to know more at the time but in retrospect I am glad I didn't know!

With the tragedy unfolding with Concordia ,I am glad I can put my trust in Cunard and their well trained captain and crew.

[Salacia]

Hi

I too was on th Qm2 on this sailing and posted a live report on this forum which was quoted on the home page. Th Maib report was posted on this site approx 6 months ago and it was only then we knew how serious the situation was. We were lucky in that we had clear guidance from the captain to the crew (I listened to all the announcements from our balcony ) and we were able to regain power in an hour or so and limp into Barcelona where we stayed until midnight awaiting assessors and repairs. We were told it was an electrical problem which in a sense it was and how would it have helped us to know it was an explosion??. I did say I wanted to know more at the time but in retrospect I am glad I didn't know!

With the tragedy unfolding with Concordia ,I am glad I can put my trust in Cunard and their well trained captain and crew.

 

You were told it was an electrical problem, and from the reports I've read, so also were the passengers aboard Costa Concordia told their situation was due to an electrical problem. That tells me not to trust the informaton given in an emergency situation on board.

[Salacia]

Well, every report of that particular incident that I have read stated that the ship lost all power for a period ranging from several hours to almost a full day (depending on which source you read). The ship was designed to work in the Baltic where such conditions are rare and the Bridge was set very low in the superstructure and quite close to the bow so it was basically an accident waiting to happen. I'm not entirely convinced that what you see at the stern of the ship is "prop wash". I think it could simply be white water displaced outward at the stern by the pitching and rolling of the hull. You can see a similar thing happening along the side of the ship visible from the helicopter.

 

I suppose it's also possible that the video was taken after power was partially restored and the ship was making for Cagliari in Sardinia. Anyway, power or no power, I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be on board under those conditions.

 

J

 

Nor would I, especially on a trans-Atlantic crossing. Even an ocean liner without power in storm would be at the mercy of the sea, no matter how capable the captain and crew were...

[Salacia]

I noted the following from the MAIB report...

 

"...A current imbalance detection system, which was the only means to warn against capacitor

deterioration, was found to be inoperable, and it was evident that it had not worked for

several years..."

 

I therefore gather that this system is not regularly inspected.

[Louise D]

I noted the following from the MAIB report...

 

"...A current imbalance detection system, which was the only means to warn against capacitor

deterioration, was found to be inoperable, and it was evident that it had not worked for

several years..."

 

I therefore gather that this system is not regularly inspected.

 

Hi Salacia,

 

I expect that this system is now very regularly inspected on the QM2. Nothing like an explosion to draw attention to something being overlooked.

[Salacia]

Hi Salacia,

 

I expect that this system is now very regularly inspected on the QM2. Nothing like an explosion to draw attention to something being overlooked.

 

Hi Lousie D. I certainly share your expectaions.

 

But there have been reports of fires/power outages aboard QM2 following the incident reported in the MAIB investigation, according to what I have read on this forum and been told by passengers and crew members who were on board at the time of occurence, most recently being Sept 2011 Canada cruise. However, I have not been able to find any official reports of said incidents.

[Louise D]

Hi Lousie D. I certainly share your expectaions.

 

But there have been reports of fires/power outages aboard QM2 following the incident reported in the MAIB investigation, according to what I have read on this forum and been told by passengers and crew members who were on board at the time of occurence, most recently being Sept 2011 Canada cruise. However, I have not been able to find any official reports of said incidents.

 

I think that was the incident with the gas turbines in a different part of the ship. If there was a serious fault, no doubt a report will be issued in due course.

[Salacia]

I think that was the incident with the gas turbines in a different part of the ship. If there was a serious fault, no doubt a report will be issued in due course.

 

Oh yes, I understand the catastropic failure of a capacitor was an isolated event. But other fires/power failures did occur subsequent to that event. I understand that you feel a report will be issued in due course. But I haven't seen any investigative reports - perhaps I'm not looking in the right place, or perhaps the events were not considered "reportable".

[Underwatr]

I think you missed an important "if" in Louise D's post.

 

I've said this before but I neither expect nor desire a "full investigative report" on every galley grease fire and engine room alarm. Obviously the filter capacitor explosion rose to the level of a serious incident but not every unusual event requiring crew emergency response rises to this level.