An explosion and fire aboard a cruise ship docked in Portland in 2023 that seriously injured a crew member was caused by debris in the lubrication of a diesel generator, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released Tuesday.
The fire happened just after 7 a.m. on Oct. 18, 2023, aboard the Ocean Navigator, which was moored at the Ocean Gateway Terminal in Portland with 210 people aboard.
According to the NTSB, a group of three engineers noticed a small lube oil leak and a loose bolt on one of the auxiliary engines. One of the engineers reported, “the bolt was loose as we can see it turning.”
Two engineers went to get tools. When they returned, as soon as they sat beside the engine, “it exploded, and fire immediately spread across and above the generator.”
One of the engineer’s coveralls caught on fire. He was initially treated by medical staff aboard the ship and was later brought to a hospital. He suffered burns on about 40 percent of his body, according to the NTSB.
Power briefly went out on the ship immediately after the explosion until an emergency generator kicked on. Crewmembers closed off ventilation to the engine room and the fire went out by itself, according to the NTSB. In the meantime, the ship was evacuated.
No passengers were injured and no pollution was reported, the NTSB said, though black smoke was seen coming from the ship.
The remainder of the cruise was cancelled. Damage to the cruise ship was estimated at $2.4 million, according to the NTSB.
Investigators later found a hole about 10 inches high and 16 inches wide in the engine block and noted that a connecting rod had been ejected from the engine.
The NTSB listed as probable cause for the explosion “debris entrained in the
engine’s lube oil system — possibly due to the crew exceeding manufacturer recommended intervals for changing the lube oil and oil filter elements.”
