Faulty Switch Causes Main Engine Failure on Bulker FMG Nicola – ATSB

Faulty Switch Activation Causes Main Engine Failure: Lessons from the FMG Nicola – Loss of propulsion of Bulker FMG Nicola – ATSB Marine Occurrence Investigation MO-2025-007

What Happened: On 7 February 2025, the fully laden bulk carrier FMG Nicola experienced a sudden loss of propulsion while departing Port Hedland. The vessel was under the guidance of two marine pilots and attended by three tugs. Just five nautical miles into the outward transit, the ship’s main engine unexpectedly shut down.

While the pilots and port authorities immediately sprang into action to mobilize more tugs and control the ship’s movement, the engineering crew raced to fix the fault. The heavy ship drifted dangerously close to the edge of the shipping channel before the engine was successfully restarted about eight minutes later. The ship was safely pulled clear and sent out to sea. Later inspections of the ballast tanks confirmed there was no contact with the sea floor and no structural damage.

The official investigation revealed the shutdown was caused by a single, faulty component. The main engine’s low lubricating oil pressure emergency shutdown switch had activated in error. At the time of the shutdown, all engine system parameters and oil pressures were perfectly normal.

Immediate Operational Checks: As navigating and engineering officers, we rely heavily on automated safety systems, but we must verify they are working properly. Today, I urge you to sit down with your engineering team and complete these checks:

• Inspect Shutdown Switches: Check the physical condition and maintenance logs of your main engine emergency shutdown switches, focusing specifically on the low lubricating oil pressure sensors.
• Drill for Power Loss: Verify that your duty engineers are thoroughly trained on rapid response procedures for an unexpected main engine shutdown, including how to quickly identify and safely manage a false sensor trip.
• Review Confined Water Protocols: Ensure the bridge and deck team is fully prepared to use anchors or command tugs without hesitation if propulsion is lost in a narrow channel. Be prepared.

Do you know what single-point failures exist in your systems? What are their failure modes?

Lessons Learned:

• Update Maintenance Replacement Regimes: Do not wait for a failure. Upgrade your testing and replacement schedules for critical emergency shutdown switches to catch faults early.
• Standardise Rapid Responses: Ships should implement and practice a formal, fleetwide procedure designed specifically for recovering from an erroneous engine shutdown.
• Improve Ship-to-Shore Coordination: This incident highlights the need for seamless communication. Bridge teams must closely coordinate with local vessel traffic services (VTS) and pilots to mobilize emergency tugs instantly. Harbour Masters should make policies clear.
• Verify System Parameters Before Acting: Engineers should be trained to quickly cross-check physical system gauges against automated sensor alarms to confirm if a shutdown is genuine or an instrument error.

As with hydraulic hoses, increasing the frequency of replacement for critical sensors and shut down components may be money well spent. A stitch in time, saves nine!

Tags: Loss of Propulsion, Engine Failure, Maintenance, Pilotage, Marine Safety

Official Report: ATSB Marine Occurrence Investigation MO-2025-007