Crowley Government Services/MAIBAn oil tanker and cargo ship that crashed in the North Sea did not have “dedicated lookouts” in what were “patchy conditions”, an interim report has found.
The Stena Immaculate, a US-registered tanker, was anchored 16 miles (26km) off the East Yorkshire coast when it was hit by the Portuguese-flagged Solong on 10 March.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch also released new images of the incident, which resulted in fires and a rescue operation which saved 36 crew from both vessels.
One crew member on the Solong, Mark Pernia, is missing and presumed dead. He was reported to be in the forward area of the ship at the time of impact.
The report said the Solong had left Grangemouth in Scotland by 20:00 GMT the day before the crash and was heading to Rotterdam using a route it had previously used.
The Stena Immaculate was told by Associate British Ports (ABP) Vessel Traffic Services to anchor north of Humber Estuary, keeping clear of any pipeline. There were eight other vessels anchored in the same area, the report noted.
The Solong collided with the oil tanker at a speed of about 16 knots (18mph) at 09:47 GMT the following day.
“The visibility in the area north of the Humber light float was reported to be patchy and varying between 0.25 nautical miles (nm) and 2.0nm,” the report said.
Crowley Government Services/MAIBAccording to the report, the collision caused a cargo tank on the Stena Immaculate to breach, releasing aviation fuel into the sea and onto the bow (front) of the Solong before igniting.
The crews of both vessels took immediate action but, according to the report, the severity of the fire hampered efforts to find Mr Pernia.
The Solong’s Russian captain, Vladimir Motin, 59, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter, and is due to stand trial in January 2026.
