The National Transportation Safety Board has called for stronger safety standards for uncrewed surface vessels following a 2024 collision between a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel and a recreational boat on Lake Erie.
The NTSB issued six recommendations Oct. 27 addressing the visibility and safe operation of uncrewed surface vessels, or USVs. The agency found that the NOAA vessel was difficult for other mariners to detect and was inadequately monitored at the time of the collision.
On Aug. 10, 2024, a SeaTrac SP-48 operated by NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory collided with a privately owned Prestige 450 Flybridge near Monroe, Mich. The USV became entangled in the recreational vessel’s starboard propeller pod, and the two boats were towed together to a nearby marina before being separated.
One minor injury was reported. The USV, valued at an estimated $186,000, was considered a constructive total loss. Damage to the recreational vessel was estimated at $100,000, according to the NTSB.
Investigators found that the 15.7' USV was difficult to see because only about a foot of its hull was visible above the water. The agency also said the vessel was unlikely to be detected electronically by the recreational vessels typically operating in the area.
The NTSB recommended that SeaTrac Systems Inc., the USV’s manufacturer, modify the vessel’s design to make it easier to detect. It also called on NOAA to revise its policies and test its USVs to verify that they can be detected by operators of other vessels commonly found in their operating areas.
At the time of the collision, the NOAA vessel was operating in “adapted hold” mode, which allowed it to automatically return to preset waypoints if it drifted beyond a 150' radius established by its remote pilot. The pilot monitored the vessel from shore while it maintained its position.
The NTSB determined that the level of monitoring was insufficient for safe operation in an area frequented by recreational vessels. The agency recommended that NOAA require monitoring appropriate to a USV’s level of autonomy, operating area and mode of operation.
Investigators also found that, at the time of the collision, no industrywide standards specifically addressed the detectability, collision-avoidance capabilities and navigational safety of USVs operating in U.S. inland and territorial waters.
“As USVs become more commonplace in U.S. waterways, it is critical for the Coast Guard to begin to set standards and policies for these vessels,” the NTSB report said.
The agency recommended that the Coast Guard develop a national framework for USV detectability, collision avoidance and navigational safety, and incorporate those standards into regulations.
