Equipment
Personal Locator Beacons
Personal emergency location/transmission devices.
Documents
- 202620 Aug
Man overboard from the lone-operated creel fishing vessel Sea Eagle (AH18) resulting in one presumed fatality
MAIB investigates the presumed loss of Sea Eagle’s lone skipper off Montrose. The mechanism of entry into the water remains unknown. Analysis examines semi-self-shooting creel operations, increased entanglement risk when carrying two strings, incomplete risk assessments, cold-water exposure and limitations on raising the alarm and self-recovery.
- 20241 Aug
Capsize and sinking of fishing vessel Angelena
Investigation of Angelena’s capsize and sinking during single-handed catch recovery off Exmouth. It examines excessive suspended net loading, low fuel levels, vessel modifications and absent stability testing. The report also analyses crewing assumptions in risk assessments, stability training and lifesaving arrangements that helped the uninjured skipper survive.
- 20248 Feb
Fall overboard from fishing vessel Eder Sands with loss of 1 life
Investigates a fatal fall overboard during net shooting west of Ireland. The report examines unguarded working positions, undocumented procedures and inadequate risk assessments. Lifejacket trials support the probable loss of a loosely fitted lifejacket. Recommendations address flotation-device suitability, correct wearing, vessel-specific procedures and consideration of personal locator beacons.
- 202322 Jun
Person overboard from creel fishing vessel Harriet J with loss of 1 life
This investigation examines the fatal overboard accident involving Harriet J’s lone skipper off south-east Scotland. He probably became caught in a chain weight while deploying creels. The report analyses deck segregation, inability to reboard, unworn flotation and locator equipment, cold incapacitation, rescue efforts and dissemination of guidance for lone-operated fishing vessels.
- 202321 Feb
Extreme Caution Advised During Swing Rope Transfers
This alert reviews offshore swing-rope transfer incidents involving a fractured foot, a shin laceration and a fall into water without injury. BSEE recommends transfer-specific risk assessments, competence assurance and recovery capability checks, alongside verification of transfer systems and locator beacons. Alternative transfer methods, including gangways or elevated structures, are recommended for consideration.
- 2023
CHIRP Fisher Feedback Autumn 2023
CHIRP’s first commercial fishing newsletter examines pot-line propeller fouling, a conveyor fingertip injury, a lone fisher falling overboard, failed trawl hoisting, a ferry collision and recovered unexploded ordnance. Case commentary discusses maintenance isolation, work communication, wire-rope inspection, harbour navigation and personal emergency signalling and self-rescue arrangements.
- 2023
CHIRP Maritime FEEDBACK 72 (Autumn 2023)
This maritime digest examines an averted mooring-line failure, a lithium-ion battery cargo fire, contractor fatigue, a diver’s propeller injury, tanker engine-control difficulties and a fisher’s overboard rescue. It discusses mooring design, dangerous-goods packing, rest arrangements, diver visibility, emergency teamwork and personal rescue equipment, alongside two improper cargo-stowage reports.
- 2023
MAIB Safety Digest 1/2023
This marine accident digest examines merchant shipping, commercial fishing and recreational boating casualties. Cases address navigation, machinery maintenance, lifting, fires and people overboard. Lessons emphasise clear control indications, practical recovery drills, effective firefighting arrangements and implementation of risk assessments, with reproduced fishing safety flyers discussing personal distress beacons.
- 2023
MAIB Safety Digest 2/2023
A multi-case marine safety digest draws lessons from navigation incidents, fires, falls, cargo lifting, mooring injuries and fishing casualties. Case analyses examine communication, electrical work, lifejacket use and recovery arrangements. Reproduced bulletins and flyers address fuel-hose modifications, liferaft servicing, carbon monoxide poisoning and fatal man-overboard incidents.
- 202222 Sep
Capsize of single-handed creel fishing vessel Goodway with loss of 1 life
Investigation into Goodway’s unwitnessed capsize near Cairnbulg and the presumed loss of its lone owner. The report identifies freeing snagged creels using engine power as the most likely sequence, examines cold-water survival and reboarding arrangements, and explains why the purchased AIS/DSC personal locator beacon was unsuitable as an EPIRB alternative.
- 202222 Jun
Capsize and sinking of whelk potter Nicola Faith with loss of 3 lives
Investigation of Nicola Faith’s fatal capsize in Colwyn Bay examines vessel modifications, combined catch and pot loading, and survival arrangements. Stability testing and modelling underpin the conclusion that loading almost certainly caused sudden instability. The report also assesses regulatory gaps, mandatory training, emergency beacons and personal flotation.
- 202216 Jun
Person overboard from single-handed creel fishing vessel Saint Peter with loss of 1 life
Investigates the fatal overboard accident involving Saint Peter’s lone skipper during creel shooting near Torness Point. Probable rope entanglement, cold-water shock and inability to reboard are examined. The report analyses deck separation, flotation, boarding arrangements and distress signalling, finding that the inflated flotation device prevented drowning but did not ensure survival.
- 2022
MAIB Safety Digest 2/2022
A collection of marine accident lessons covering merchant ships, fishing vessels and recreational craft. Cases examine groundings, fires, towing and lifting failures, flooding, capsize and people overboard. Reproduced bulletins and flyers discuss blocked CO2 pilot hoses, vessel stability, flotation and distress alerting, alongside navigation, training and equipment checks.
- 202113 Jun
Report - Offshore helicopter operations - April 2010
Updates an earlier review of Australian offshore helicopter support through operator and petroleum-company questionnaires and regulatory analysis. It compares provision with 2006, examines proposed rotorcraft rules and personal locator beacon interference, and reports improvements in monitoring systems, medical evacuation availability, flight tracking and helideck support.
- 20202 Sep
Man overboard from single-handed creel boat May C with loss of 1 life
Investigates the fatal overboard accident involving May C’s lone skipper at Loch Carnan. The unwitnessed fall most likely occurred while clearing propeller fouling. Analysis addresses cold-water incapacitation, the absence of worn flotation and a carried locator beacon, self-rescue arrangements and difficulties recovering an unconscious person.
- 201919 Jun
Man overboard from commercially operated yacht CV30 with loss of 1 life
Investigates the fatal loss of Simon Speirs during headsail lowering aboard CV30 in the Southern Ocean. His tether hook snagged beneath a mooring cleat, distorted under lateral loading and released. The report examines recovery difficulties, jackstay arrangements, guardrail integrity, training, supervision, fatigue and gaps in tether testing standards.
- 20186 Dec
Capsize and sinking of fishing vessel Solstice with loss of 1 life
Investigation of Solstice’s fatal capsize during stern recovery of a heavy catch south of Plymouth. It examines inadequate transverse stability, suspended-load geometry, deck water and recent fishing-method changes. The report also analyses escape arrangements and search-and-rescue coordination, including delayed telephone data, uncharted sightings and coastguard information systems.
- 2018Oct
MAIB Safety Digest 2/2018
A collection of marine accident lessons covering merchant vessels, fishing boats and recreational craft. Cases examine navigation errors, flooding, machinery failures, fires, scalding, overboard emergencies and carbon monoxide poisoning. Discussion addresses electronic chart checks, alarm use, maintenance, risk assessment and practised emergency procedures, with appended rescue-line and yacht-keel safety bulletins.
- 20183 Jul
Man overboard from creel fishing vessel Varuna with loss of 1 life
Investigation of a fatal probable man-overboard incident from the single-handed creel boat Varuna off north-west Scotland. The precise circumstances remain unknown. The report examines the open transom shooting gate, absence of worn flotation and a personal locator beacon, non-functioning AIS, search arrangements, risk assessment and regulatory oversight.
- 201712 Apr
Accidents on board yacht CV21 resulting in loss of 2 lives
Investigates two fatal accidents aboard racing yacht CV21: a neck injury during uncontrolled gybes following preventer strop failure, and a crew member washed overboard. Analysis examines HMPE rope loading, tethering practices, supervision, survival equipment and recovery delays, with recommendations addressing procedures, training and personal AIS beacons.
- 20171 Feb
Man overboard from ocean rowing boat Toby Wallace with loss of 1 life
Investigation into the loss of a rower from Toby Wallace during a North Atlantic crossing. It examines ankle-leash detachment, low gunnels, unused lifejackets and tethers, personal locator beacon provision and recovery difficulties. The report also considers training, overboard risk assessment and gaps in standards for commercially operated ocean rowing boats.
- 20163 Nov
Man overboard from potter Harvester resulting in vessel sinking with loss of 2 lives
Investigation into Harvester’s grounding and loss after both fishermen probably went overboard while shooting pots near Ramsey Island. One died from drowning; the other remained missing. The report examines presumed working arrangements, separation from running gear, flotation devices, cold-water immersion, personal locator beacons and the value of AIS tracks for searches.
- 2016Oct
MAIB Safety Digest 2/2016
This digest draws preventive lessons from merchant, fishing and recreational vessel accidents. Cases examine groundings, collisions, capsizing, flooding, machinery injuries and fires. Analysis addresses passage planning, bridge communication, maintenance, risk assessment and emergency checklists, alongside flotation equipment and distress beacons. A reproduced bulletin discusses carbon monoxide poisoning aboard a motor cruiser.
- 201529 Apr
Keel detachment and capsize of sailing yacht Cheeki Rafiki with loss of 4 lives
Investigation of Cheeki Rafiki’s keel detachment and capsize during an Atlantic passage, after which four crew remained missing. It examines bonded hull–matrix integrity, grounding inspections, certification, passage planning, flooding response, beacon performance and liferaft accessibility. The report explicitly acknowledges uncertainty about the accident’s causes.
- 201529 Jan
Disappearance and rescue of small fishing vessel Water-rail
Water-rail became lost in fog during a creel-fishing voyage and its two occupants were rescued by a passing trawler on 22 May 2014. The investigation examines incorrect compass use, absent electronic communications, crew competence and search planning. Recommendations address navigation training, distress equipment and personal flotation devices.
- 201410 Dec
Super Puma Sea Impact During Night Approach to Offshore Platform
Investigation of G-REDU’s sea impact during a night approach to ETAP examines crew misperception, approach monitoring, unavailable height warnings and survival arrangements. Recorded flight data, avionics memory extraction, simulations and specialist illusion analyses inform findings. All occupants were rescued uninjured; recommendations address approach procedures, warning systems, evacuation and rescue equipment.
- 2014Oct
Capsize of an open speedboat with loss of 3 lives
Investigation of a recreational speedboat capsize off Lowestoft, leaving one man dead and two missing. The report considers probable propeller fouling during longline recovery, stern-first exposure to waves and reduced freeboard. It examines cold-water survival, flotation protection and distress signalling, while acknowledging uncertainty about the precise accident sequence.
- 2014Sep
Person overboard from small open/recreational fishing boat Amy Jane with loss of 1 life
Investigation into a fatal overboard incident involving a lone recreational angler near Cadgwith. The report examines uncertain fall circumstances, the unused engine kill cord, delayed alarm, rescue operations and death from hypothermia and drowning. It emphasises personal locator beacons, marine VHF radios and agreed return times with overdue instructions.
- 2014
MAIB Safety Digest 1/2014
This marine accident digest presents lessons from merchant vessels, fishing boats and small craft, including republished articles on kill cords. Cases examine navigation, lifeboat access, equipment failures, fires, flooding and overboard emergencies. Recommendations address maintenance, testing, communication and emergency preparation; appendices list investigations and reproduce safety bulletins.
- 201317 Oct
Fatality: Man overboard
A rigger drowned after stepping backwards through temporary barriers while avoiding a moving bulwark load on a vessel at night. The flash examines positioning, a missing barrier stanchion and an unidentified life-jacket requirement, describes unsuccessful rescue and resuscitation, and outlines improvements to risk assessment, edge protection and man-overboard response.
- 2013Apr
MAIB Safety Digest 1/2013
This marine accident digest examines merchant vessels, fishing vessels and small craft through separate casualty narratives and practical lessons. Cases address navigation, flooding, fire, lifting, access and persons overboard. Analyses discuss bridge teamwork, training, risk assessment, alarm reliability, lifeboat lowering controls, lifejacket fit and personal locator beacon use.
- 2013Jan
Person overboard from scallop dredger St Amant with loss of 1 life
Investigation of an unwitnessed loss overboard from the scallop dredger St Amant while on passage to fishing grounds. Exact circumstances remained uncertain. The report examines low bulwarks, poor housekeeping, absent toilet facilities, inadequate risk assessments, unused flotation protection, emergency response and weaknesses in survey deficiency follow-up.
- 2012Mar
Person overboard from potter About Time with loss of 1 life
Investigates the fatal disappearance of a deckhand from About Time off Pembrokeshire. The unwitnessed fall was considered most probably associated with slipping or tripping near piled fishing ropes and a low bulwark. Analysis addresses deck segregation, footwear, flotation devices, locator beacons, risk assessment, safety training and emergency response.
- 2011Nov
Persons overboard from creelers Discovery and Breadwinner during single handed operations with loss of 2 lives
Combined investigation of two fatal losses overboard during single-handed creel fishing off Scotland. Discovery’s precise accident sequence remains uncertain; Breadwinner’s skipper became entangled while shooting creels and drowned. The report examines V-wheel haulers, potting rollers, self-shooting arrangements, gear separation, risk assessment, flotation, personal locator beacons and delayed rescue.
- 200919 Jun
Reintroduction of personal locator beacons on helicopter flights
This safety flash relays an Oil & Gas UK announcement that personal locator beacons should be reintroduced for offshore helicopter passengers from mid-July. It follows an earlier UK Civil Aviation Authority announcement stopping their use, previously covered in another IMCA safety flash.
- 2004May
MAIB Safety Digest 2004 — Fishing edition
A collection of fishing-vessel accident lessons examines flooding, stability, drowning, navigation failures, lifting-gear hazards and fire. Cases discuss inflatable lifejacket reliability, snatch-block operation, bilge alarms and watertight subdivision. Recommendations address crew involvement in risk assessment, equipment checks, lookout arrangements and emergency preparedness, while retaining uncertainties in individual accident findings.
- 2003Aug
MAIB Safety Digest 2/2003
This marine accident digest presents lessons from merchant shipping, fishing and leisure craft cases. It examines collisions, groundings, cargo securing, chemical exposure, machinery injuries and people overboard. Case discussions emphasise vigilant lookouts, bridge-team communication, radar monitoring, equipment checks, consistent instructions and preparation for recovering people from the water.
- 1997
MAIB Safety Digest 2/1997
Marine casualty summaries examine merchant shipping, fishing vessels and leisure craft, with lessons on navigation cross-checks, watchkeeping, fatigue, cargo work and rescue. Cases discuss equipment failures, collisions, groundings, galley incidents, capsizing and flooding. Appendices describe investigation levels and list investigations commenced during a specified 1997 period.
- Undated
Person overboard from stern trawler Atlantic Princess with loss of 1 life
Investigation synopsis concerning a crewman lost overboard while Atlantic Princess shot nets south of the Isle of Wight. It concludes that the stern roller probably dragged him overboard and his incorrectly donned lifejacket slipped off. Recommendations address lifejacket training, inventory records, beacon-equipped lifejackets and consideration of a short guardrail.
- Undated
Safety review of offshore public transport helicopter operations (Version 1, 20 February 2014; publisher status Current)
This review examines offshore helicopter transport supporting oil and gas operations, combining accident and occurrence analysis with documentary research, interviews and independent challenge. It assesses airworthiness, gearbox failures, maintenance, pilot performance, helideck standards and passenger survivability, setting out CAA actions and recommendations on training, flotation, underwater escape and operational restrictions.