TSB # M01/2006
(Gatineau, Quebec, February 9, 2006) - The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) today released its final investigation report (M03W0073) into the engine room fire and subsequent failure of the fire-suppression system on the passenger ferry Queen of Surrey in the Queen Charlotte Channel, British Columbia, on May 12, 2003.
In its report, the Board recommends that Transport Canada, in conjunction with other stakeholders, develop a more effective design, maintenance, inspection and testing regime for fire-suppression systems. The Board also recommends that Transport Canada require large Canadian passenger vessels to meet a standard of structural fire protection that ensures a better level of safety. In addition, the Board expresses two safety concerns - one about the adequacy of regulatory inspections, and the other about the adequacy of the BC Ferry Services Safety Management System.
As a result of the TSB investigation, several safety actions have been taken. On the Queen of Surrey, copper fuel lines were replaced with steel, and hot spots around the boiler and engine exhaust manifolds were provided with protective thermal shielding. A shut-off valve was installed on the fuel oil pressure gauge line, and the damaged carbon dioxide (CO2) distribution manifolds were inspected and repaired. Directives were also issued to the other vessels in the fleet to do the same. BC Ferry Services also implemented procedures for better inspection and supervision of work done on CO2 systems by contractors. The Board is confident that lessons learned from this investigation will make marine passenger transportation safer for Canadians across the country.
On the morning of May 12, 2003, while en route in clear and calm conditions from Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia, to Langdale, British Columbia, with 318 passengers and 137 vehicles on board, the Queen of Surrey suffered a diesel oil fire on one of its main engines. The engine room was evacuated and sealed, and CO2 was released into it. Although immediate failure of the CO2 distribution manifold allowed some of the gas to escape, enough reached the engine room to extinguish the fire. The vessel was then towed to the Langdale ferry terminal, where the passengers disembarked. There were no fatalities.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
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The public report M03W0073 and photos are available on the TSB Web site.
For more information, contact:
John Cottreau
Senior Media Relations Advisor
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Telephone: (819) 994-8053
Cellular: (613) 292-4146
or
Christian Plouffe
Media Relations Advisor
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Telephone: (819) 953-7812
Cellular: (613) 850-0738
