Aratere crew ‘unaware’ of override as ferry headed towards grounding

Thursday, 31 October 2024

The commission found the crew didn't know how to turn off the autopilot on a new steering system, but said the actions of those on board prevented a much more serious incident. Stuff's Laura Frykberg reports.

Crew aboard the Aratere Cook Strait ferry rushed between controls in an attempt to to steer the 17,816-tonne vessel off its doomed course but “were not aware” that they needed to hold down a kill button for a full five seconds.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) on Thursday released its interim report into the June 21 grounding of the Interislander ferry.

It confirmed earlier leaked information to The Post and added further details. Crucially KiwiRail had installed a new steering control system in May and the ship had made 83 Cook Strait crossings since.

Under autopilot, the ship took an unexpected right turn towards land. This came after an “execute” turn button was pressed later than usual, meaning the planned later turn was made by the ship earlier than expected.

The Aratere ran aground near Titoki Bay in Picton harbour in June.

TAIC charts show the track the ship was now heading on was identical to the one it should have later taken but 1.28 nautical miles early – a route into the beach.

When bridge crew realised what happened the helmsman pressed the “takeover” button but could not take over from autopilot even after turning the wheel hard away from land. The helmsman rushed to another console and again failed due to settings under the new system.

The night master tried to take control and also failed. This was because the new system “differed from the procedure under the old steering control system”, the TAIC report said.

The Interislander ferry Aratere was successfully refloated shortly after 9pm on Saturday night.

There was a way the crew could have forced a takeover by holding the takeover button down for five seconds. “The bridge team were not aware of either the need to align the rudder controls [a variation from old procedure] nor the force takeover features,” the report said.

The TAIC report says, for the override to work, controls at different parts at the bridge had to align within 2 degrees.

TAIC chief accident investigator Naveen Kozhuppakalam said crew “did not know they didn't know” to hold the button for five seconds of align different controls.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown said he had seen the report and thanked TAIC.

“It’s crucial to learn from these types of incidents and I expect KiwiRail to take these lessons on board. This is an interim, factual report that details the circumstances that led up to the grounding of the Aratere and I understand the investigation is still ongoing.

“I will await the findings and any recommendations in the final report before commenting further.”

In the grounding aftermath, a memo leaked to The Post showed the reason for the grounding was known within days.

An internal Interislander safety bulletin was sent to masters and deck officers on July 5 showed that as the ferry passed Mabel Island, off Picton, autopilot was engaged.

But an “execute button” was accidentally pressed, causing the ship to veer off-course one nautical mile before it was meant to make a turn.

The bridge team noticed the ship’s wrong turn – which would soon see it grounding on a beach – and tried to regain control but were initially unsuccessful.

This meant there was “about a minute” before astern propulsion could be activated, slowing the ship.

“However, it was too late and the vessel ran aground in Titoki Bay,” the bulletin said.

Sources confirmed the investigation into the grounding would in part, look into claims nobody in the bridge crew knew that to override the new autopilot a button had to be held down for five seconds, The Post earlier reported.

Government coalition party New Zealand First had earlier posted on social media, asking if it was true the Interislander ferry had autopilot on while someone went for a coffee, “then couldn’t turn the autopilot off in time when that someone came back…?”

The TAIC report made no mention of a coffee run.

Troy Stade, a union lawyer representing the ferry’s bridge crew, “categorically” ruled out any suggestion any beverages were involved in the incident.

The NZ First post was “completely inappropriate” – given it came from a party in government and because it spread unfounded rumours while there were official investigations into the grounding.

On January 28, 2023 another of the Interislander ferries, Kaitaki, lost all power with 864 people aboard, on the Cook Strait, triggering a mayday and full emergency response.

The incident highlighted the failing state of the Interislander fleet, which the previous Labour government had ordered two new ferries to replace. But the new National-led Government cancelled that order citing cost blow outs. There is no word yet on a replacement.