(WASHINGTON) — On Aug. 7, 2024, a 16-foot autonomous vessel collided with a 27-foot recreational rowing vessel from a local rowing club on the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Md. At the time of the incident, the autonomous vessel was undergoing testing which required its anti-collision system to be disabled and was being observed by a reduced crew aboard a separately manned vessel positioned just north of the collision site. Moments before the collision, the operator of the rowing scull jumped into the river to avoid impact. The collision resulted in a total loss of the recreational vessel.
The U.S. Coast Guard investigation into the collision identified five key factors that contributed to the incident. These included the test observation crew’s failure to remain attentive, their noncompliance with planned crew requirements, their failure to follow the proposed testing location and procedures, and the disabling of the autonomous vessel’s collision avoidance system during testing.
Coast Guard investigators have identified the following measures to mitigate the risks associated with the contributing factors identified above:
• Owners and operators of autonomous vessels should review training protocols for operators and consider establishing minimum manning requirements for observers of autonomous testing and operations. Appropriate manning, adequate training, and adherence to operational procedures are critical to ensuring safe operations, especially when conducting testing that requires a reduction in equipped safety features…