Purpose: The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) issues findings of concern to disseminate information related to unsafe conditions that were identified as causal factors in a casualty and could contribute to future incidents. Findings of concern are intended to educate the public, state, or local agencies about the conditions discovered so they may address the findings with an appropriate voluntary action or highlight existing applicable company policies or state/local regulations.

The Incident: Before sunrise, on September 10, 2022, two uninspected passenger vessels collided near Turtle Cove in Port Aransas, TX. The collision caused three passengers to sustain non-life-threatening injuries and one of the operators to be ejected from their vessel. Tragically, the operator sustained fatal injuries when they were ejected.

Contributing Factors and Analysis: The USCG’s marine casualty investigation into the collision identified issues with the positioning of the involved vessels’ all-round white lights. Both vessels’ lights were mounted in a manner which reduced their visibility to the other vessel. The improper placement of these lights reduced the window of time the operators had to take appropriate evasive action and contributed to the collision.

The proper placement of navigation lights is critical for visibility and the timely detection of a vessel’s position and heading in low light conditions. With correct light configurations, the risk of collision in this case may have been identified earlier, enabling prompt evasive maneuvers to prevent the accident.

Findings of Concern: USCG Investigators have identified the following measures that may mitigate the risks posed by the contributing factor identified above:

• Owners and operators should carefully verify the proper positioning of navigation lights to ensure they are unobscured by any structure(s) on the vessel..
• Vessel manufactures should carefully review their vessel plans to verify the proper positioning of navigation lights in accordance with USCG Navigation Rules in Title 33 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 84 and ensure they are unobscured by any structure(s) on the vessel.

Closing. This finding of concern is provided for informational purposes only and does not relieve any domestic or international safety, operational, or material requirements. For any questions or comments please contact the Sector Corpus Christi Investigations Division by phone at (361) 939-5140 or by email at CorpusChristiIO@uscg.mil.