NTSB: Poor communication led to 2015 Houston Ship Channel accident
The probable cause of the 2015 collision of the Conti Peridot and the Carla Maersk in the Houston Ship Channel was the inability of the pilot on the Conti Peridot to respond appropriately to hydrodynamic forces after meeting another vessel during restricted visibility, and his lack of communication with other vessels about this handling difficulty controlling his vessel, said the National Transportation Safety Board.
Contributing to the circumstances that resulted in the collision was the inadequate bridge resource management between the master and the pilot on the Conti Peridot. The collision of the 623-foot long, bulk cargo carrier Conti Peridot, with the 600-foot long tanker Carla Maersk, resulted in the release of approximately 88,200 gallons of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) into the waters of the Houston Ship Channel on March 9, 2015.