Gibraltar: ‘OS 35’ Collision Investigation Reveals Critical Need for Mandatory Pilotage

An official accident investigation report released by His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar details the 2022 collision between the bulk carrier OS 35 and LNG carrier Adam LNG, highlighting significant safety concerns regarding pilot-free departures from Gibraltar’s Western Anchorage.

The incident, which occurred on August 29, 2022, resulted in the OS 35 sustaining severe hull damage and ultimately being beached east of Gibraltar, where it subsequently broke up leading to an oil spill. The wreckage was eventually lifted onto a heavy lift vessel as part of a 10-month wreck removal operation.

According to the report, the accident stemmed from a series of navigational errors. While departing the anchorage with a cargo of steel rebar, the OS 35’s master misinterpreted the vessel’s drift conditions and made a critical error in judgment. Despite ECDIS data showing the vessel would have cleared the anchored Adam LNG, the master’s…