Fire on Board the Liberian Passenger Ship Ecstasy, Miami, Florida ...

viiiMarine Accident ReportExecutive SummaryOn the afternoon of July 20, 1998, the Liberian passenger ship Ecstasy haddeparted the Port of Miami, Florida, en route to Key West, Florida, with 2,565 passengersand 916 crewmembers on board when a fire started in the main laundry shortly after 1700.The fire migrated through the ventilation system to the aft mooring deck where mooringlines ignited, creating intense heat and large amounts of smoke. As the Ecstasy wasattempting to reach an anchorage north of the Miami sea buoy, the vessel lost propulsionpower and steering and began to drift. The master then radioed the U.S. Coast Guard forassistance. A total of six tugboats responded to help fight the fire and to tow the Ecstasy.The fire was brought under control by onboard firefighters and was officially declaredextinguished about 2109. Fourteen crewmembers and eight passengers suffered minorinjuries. One passenger who required medical treatment as a result of a pre-existingcondition was categorized as a serious injury victim because of the length of her hospitalstay. Carnival Corporation, Inc., the owner of the Ecstasy, estimated that losses from thefire and associated damages exceeded $17 million.The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause offire aboard the Ecstasy was the unauthorized welding by crewmembers in the mainlaundry that ignited a large accumulation of lint in the ventilation system and the failure ofCarnival Cruise Lines to maintain the laundry exhaust ducts in a fire-safe condition.Contributing to the extensive fire damage on the ship was the lack of an automatic firesuppression system on the aft mooring deck and the lack of an automatic means ofmitigating the spread of smoke and fire through the ventilation ducts.The major safety issues discussed in this report are as follows:• Adequacy of management safety oversight;• Adequacy of the fire protection systems;• Adequacy of passenger and crew safety; and• Adequacy of engineering system design.As result of its investigation of this accident, the Safety Board makesrecommendations to the U.S. Coast Guard, American Classic Voyages, CarnivalCorporation, Inc., Carnival Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, NorwegianCruise Line, Orient Lines, P&O Princess Cruises International, Ltd., Radisson Seven SeasCruises, Regal Cruises, Renaissance Cruises, Inc., Royal Olympic Cruises, RoyalCaribbean Cruises, Ltd., and Silversea Cruises, Ltd., ABB, Inc., and the InternationalAssociation of Classification Societies.