Special Investigation Report
Post-Accident Testing for Alcohol and Other Drugs in the Marine Industry and
the Ramming of the Portland-South Portland (Million Dollar) Bridge at
Portland, Maine, by the Liberian Tankship Julie N on September 27, 1996

NTSB Number SIR-98/02
NTIS Number PB98-917003
PDF Document (3.2M)


Synopsis: The 560-foot-long Liberian tankship Julie N, carrying a cargo of heating oil, collided with the south bascule pier of the Portland-South Portland (Million Dollar) Bridge in Portland, Maine, about 1105 on September 27, 1996. The vessel had passed between the piers of the new Portland-South Portland bridge (Casco Bay Bridge) and was en route to the Rolling Mills terminal about 1.2 miles beyond the Million Dollar Bridge. The vessel was under the direction of a State-licensed docking master (pilot). After the collision, the pilot stated that as the vessel approached the bridge, he had issued three orders for port rudder to swing the bow to the left and then intended to order the rudder to hard starboard and to increase the engine speed from slow to half ahead to stop the swing and align the vessel for passage through the drawspan. However, the pilot inadvertently ordered the rudder to hard port instead of hard starboard. He recognized his error within seconds and ordered the rudder to hard starboard; given the narrowness of the bridge span, however, the shifting of the rudder occurred too late to avoid the collision.

There were no injuries, but the collision resulted in a 33-foot-long hole in the vessel's hull beneath the waterline. About 4,000 barrels of oil spilled into the harbor. The vessel sustained about $660,000 in damage, and the cost for cleanup of the oil was approximately $43 million. Repairs to the Million Dollar Bridge were about $232,000.

After the accident, the pilot reported to a clinic for postaccident testing. However, he did not have his breath or blood tested for alcohol. The urine specimen collected for drug testing indicated that no drugs were present. The pilot stated that he was unaware that postaccident testing required a test of breath or blood for alcohol and that urine collection was solely for drug testing.

Over the course of 28 major accident investigations, the National Transportation Safety Board has observed confusion and a lack of understanding on the part of marine employers and employees regarding postaccident testing requirements and responsibilities. In many of these accidents, including that involving the Julie N, the Safety Board has been unable to definitively rule out alcohol or drug use as a causal factor because of serious deficiencies in the testing process.

Because of the continuing problems encountered in conducting postaccident testing for alcohol and drugs, this report contains additional sections devoted to the discussion and analysis of postaccident testing.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the collision with the Portland-South Portland (Million Dollar) Bridge was the pilot's inadvertent order port (left) rudder instead of starboard (right) rudder. Contributing to the accident was the narrow horizontal clearance of the bridge drawspan, which afforded little leeway for human error. Contributing to the severity of the damage to the vessel and to the amount of oil spilled was a corner of the bridge pier that was not adequately shielded by the timber fender system.

The safety issues discussed in this report include:

As a result of its investigation, the Safety Board made recommendations addressing these issues to the U.S. Coast Guard, Maine Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.