MV Bright Field was a bulk cargo ship that collided with the Riverwalk Marketplace shopping complex in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the afternoon of Saturday, December 14, 1996, after losing engine power. The vessel was fully loaded with grain at the time of the incident. The United States Coast Guard investigated the incident and published its findings on December 8, 1997, citing the cause of the engine failure as a poorly-maintained oil filter.[1] A secondary, but contributory, cause was determined to be a main-engine automation system that produced warnings and alarms that were not consistently relayed to the ship's master. The National Transportation Safety Board published its final report on January 13, 1998, which concurred with the Coast Guard's determinations and appeared to charge the ship's operating company with the responsibility for the casualty.[2]
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | MV Bright Field |
| Operator | Cosco, Hong Kong |
| Port of registry | Liberia |
| Builder | |
| Launched | September 1988 |
| Homeport | Monrovia |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 734.9 ft (224.0 m) |
| Beam | 105.6 ft (32.2 m) |
| Depth | 59.7 ft (18.2 m) |
| Installed power | Diesel engine, 9,800 hp (7,300 kW) |
| Propulsion | Single shaft |
The incident resulted in no deaths, but 66 people were injured. Physical damage to Bright Field was calculated at $1,857,952. Damage to the Riverwalk, including the pier, condominium properties, shops and hotel, totaled an estimated $15 million. The spot where the Bright Field ran into the Riverwalk is marked on site with a plaque.
Bright Field was repaired immediately following the incident, and in 2000 was reportedly seen again in the New Orleans harbor bearing the name Bright Star.[3] In 2007, the vessel was renamed Bright City, operating under the Liberian flag, and carrying a Chinese crew[4] and, by May 2010, had been renamed Yong Xu Hai, under the Chinese flag.[5]
The ship was decommissioned and scrapped in 2015.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Investigation into the circumstances surrounding the loss of propulsion on the bulk carrier Bright Field and allision with the Riverwalk Shopping Complex on December 14, 1996 in New Orleans, Louisiana, with multiple injuries and no loss of life" (PDF). United States Coast Guard. 1997-12-08. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
- ^ "National Transportation Safety Board Marine Accident Report - Allision of the Liberian Freighter Bright Field With the Poydras Street Wharf, Riverwalk Marketplace, and New Orleans Hilton Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, December 14, 1996" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. 1998-01-13. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
- ^ "Bright Field / Riverwalk New Orleans Accident Site". Archived from the original on 2007-03-26. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
- ^ "COSCO H.K. Shipping Co., Ltd. Vessel Information Details". Archived from the original on May 2, 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-02.
- ^ "YOUNYSUN SHIPPING GROUP Vessel Information Details". Retrieved 2015-12-06.
- ^ "Yong Xu Hai (8715302)". Equasis. Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
External links
edit- "Bright Field (322059)". Port State Information Exchange. United States Coast Guard.
- Compilation of photos, video, and maps of Bright Field collision with the Riverwalk Marketplace
- MV Bright Field Engine Shutdown Explanation of the engine shutdown based on USCG report