# Presentation: 931212

## Ethan AllenLake George, NYOctober 2, 2005	

- DCA06MM001

## The Ethan Allen

- NTSB Photo

**Notes:**
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## NTSB-Office of Marine Safety

- Morgan Turrell, IIC
- Bob Ford, IIC
- Rob Henry, Naval Architecture and Stability
- Brian Curtis, Engineering
- Mariette Burer, Survival Factors
- Liam LaRue, Vessel Factors
- Barry Strauch, Ph.D., Writer
- Pat Barnes, Editor

## NTSB Staff

- Acting Chairman Rosenker & Tom Doyle
- Derek Nash, Materials Science
- Mitch Garber, M.D., Medical Officer
- Joe Gregor, Ph.D., Vehicle Performance
- Don Eick, Weather
- Keith O’Neill and Brian Moy, Contracting
- Terry Williams, Public Affairs
- Brian Fiffick & Ken Suydam, Transportation Disaster Assistance
- Chris Julius, Office of General Counsel

## Parties

- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
- Warren County Sheriff’s Office
- Shoreline Cruises, Inc., owner
- Scarano Boatbuilding, Inc.
- Cummins MerCruiser Diesel
- Hypro Pumps

## Safety issues

- Stability standards and procedures for passenger vessels
- New York State’s use of capacity plates to determine public vessel passenger loading
- Regulation of New York State’s public vessels

## Presenters

- Overview, M.Turrell
- Stability, R. Henry
- New York State Regulations, M. Turrell
- New York State’s use of manufacturer capacity plates, R. Henry

## Ethan Allen

- Built in 1964
- 40 feet long
- Fiberglass
- Ex *Double Dolphin*
- USCG certificate

- Courtesy of New York State

## Ethan Allen

- Sold to Shoreline Cruises, Inc.
- Moved to Lake George, New York
- New York State jurisdiction
- Public vessel

- Courtesy of New York State

## Slide 11

## Ethan Allen arrangement

## De Champlain

## Hull condition

- Operators checked the bilge
- Investigators surveyed the hull
- The coolant pump was examined

## Departure

- No safety briefing conducted
- Departed at 1430
- 47 passengers and 1 operator
- Other vessels on the lake

## Cramer 

- Cramer
- Point

## The capsize

- Vessel turned to starboard
- Wave impacts Ethan Allen
- Passengers shifted to port side
- Passengers swept out of windows
- Ethan Allen capsized in seconds

## Emergency response

- Nearby recreational boats
- Vessel sank in minutes
- Emergency personnel on scene in minutes
- No drug or alcohol test administered

## Injuries

| Type of Injury | Crew | Passengers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fatal | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Serious | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Minor | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| None | 1 | 18 | 19 |
| Total | 0 | 47 | 48 |

## Exclusions

- Weather
- Operator fatigue
- Ethan Allen’s hull structure
- Steering and propulsion

## Ethan AllenLake George, NYOctober 2, 2005	

- New York State regulations

## New York State regulations for public vessels

- Deficiencies found during investigation
- Action by New York State

## Issues not adequately addressed in New York regulations

- Vessel modifications
- Stability assessments and criteria
- Safe load condition
- Safety briefings
- Manning
- Post accident testing

## Actions by New York State

- Reduced number of passengers on public vessels
- Revised technical guidance on stability and operations
- Regulations under review
- Proposed legislation is pending

## Other safety issues

- Criteria for stability assessments
- Determining maximum safe load condition
- Recommendation to USCG  M-06-6