Marine transportation safety investigation M14P0014
This investigation has been completed. The report was released 23 October 2014.
Table of contents
Grounding of container vessel Cap Blanche near Steveston, British Columbia
Container vessel Cap Blanche
Fraser River, British Columbia
The occurrence
On 25 January 2014, the container vessel "Cap Blanche" was inbound from Sand Heads, BC for Fraser Surrey Docks when the vessel grounded near Steveston, BC. The vessel was able to refloat itself without the assistance of tugs and proceeded to the berth. No pollution or injuries were reported.
Media materials
Deployment notice
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada deploys team to site of a marine accident near Steveston, British Columbia
Richmond, British Columbia, 26 January 2014 — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) deploys a team of investigators to the site of a marine accident involving the container vessel Cap Blanche near Steveston, British Columbia. The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence.
Investigation information
Map showing the location of the occurrence
Investigator-in-charge
Paulo Ekkebus has been a Senior Investigator at the Transportation Safety Board of Canada since 2008.
Prior to joining the TSB, Mr. Ekkebus spent 4 years teaching at the British Columbia Institute of Technology's marine campus in Vancouver, the last 2 of which were as Chief Instructor of the nautical sciences and seamanship programs. He has 12 years' sailing experience in deck and engineering disciplines onboard a variety of vessels, culminating in the appointment as master. He has also worked in the private sector, developing and implementing safety management systems.
Mr. Ekkebus is a Certified Master Mariner and holds a Bachelor's degree from the De Ruyter Maritime Institute in the Netherlands.
Download high-resolution photos from the TSB Flickr page.
Class of investigation
This is a class 3 investigation. These investigations analyze a small number of safety issues, and may result in recommendations. Class 3 investigations are generally completed within 450 days. For more information, see the Policy on Occurrence Classification.
TSB investigation process
There are 3 phases to a TSB investigation
- Field phase: a team of investigators examines the occurrence site and wreckage, interviews witnesses and collects pertinent information.
- Examination and analysis phase: the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.
- Report phase: a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.
For more information, see our Investigation process page.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.