Analysis of Contact Accidents Onboard Ships Assisted by Maritime Pilots

Year 2025, Volume: 21 Issue: 1, 73 - 96, 12.06.2025

Refik Canımoğlu , Umut Yıldırım , S. M. Esad Demirci

https://doi.org/10.56850/jnse.1641797

Abstract

Maritime accidents arise from multiple factors, typically including the interplay of more than one cause element. To mitigate the danger of accidents, marine pilots provide their expertise in vital waterways, including port basins and tight channels. Nonetheless, maritime accidents continue to transpire on vessels aided by pilots. In addition to its advantages, pilotage activities also possess downsides. The drawbacks mostly stem from inadequate collaboration between the ship's crew and the pilot, arising from bad communication and insufficient teamwork. Contact accidents refer to collisions with stationary objects like as piers, shore cranes, and buoys. The damage inflicted can result in significant harm to vessels, prolonged port operations, and impaired functionality of navigational equipment, making the repercussions of contact incidents potentially catastrophic. The objective of our research is to identify the primary causes of contact accidents that occur onboard ships supported by maritime pilots and to analyze the correlations among these factors. To achieve this objective, maritime accident reports investigating contact incidents issued by various accident investigation agencies are evaluated to identify cause elements. Secondly, an expert group classifies causal factors utilizing HFACS-MA. Subsequently, the associations among causal components are examined by Association Rule Mining utilizing R Studio version 4.3.1. Ultimately, results are assessed, and conclusions are deliberated.

Keywords

Maritime pilotage , maritime accident , HFACS , Association rule mining

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