The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued the report of its investigation of the sinking of the oceanographic research vessel Seaprobe in the Gulf of Mexico on Jan. 18, 2013. The probable cause of the flooding and subsequent sinking of the vessel was the decision of the owner to delay making permanent repairs to the starboard-side exhaust trunk and covering six of the vessel's freeing ports, leaving the vessel susceptible to downflooding from boarding seas. Contributing to the casualty was the owner's failure to comply with the vessel's safety management system and mandatory load line regulations.
Read the full report here.
