A crewman was killed offNew-foundland when tension from a capsizing barge on a tug's tow cable shattered an auxiliary brake drum that had disabled the tug's emergency tow release, Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has determined. According to the TSB report, the 115-foot tug Western Tugger had the 295-foot Arctic Lift I, which was carrying a cargo of steel rebar, under tow when the barge capsized on May 10,2013. The towing winch was equipped with a main air brake on the steel winch drum and a secondary air brake on the drive shaft. The winch drum had a tendency to slip while towing, even with both brakes applied, so a nut-and-bolt assembly on the secondary brake was used to tighten the brake band and hold the winch drum in place. When the brakes were released, the winch drum would turn freely only if the nut-and-bolt assembly had been loosened.
展开▼
