Executive Summary On the morning of September 11, 2017, the commercial fishing vessel Langley Douglas developed a port list, capsized, and subsequently sank 60 miles east of Cape Charles, Virginia
Executive Summary On the morning of September 11, 2017, the commercial fishing vessel Langley Douglas developed a port list, capsized, and subsequently sank 60 miles east of Cape Charles, Virginia. A US Coast Guard helicopter rescued the five people on board. No injuries or pollution were reported. The Langley Douglas was valued at $1.95 million. Probable Cause The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the capsizing and sinking of fishing vessel Langley Douglas was the captain’s decision to unload a large catch that overflowed the pen and spilled out on deck, which―coupled with trapped water on deck due to blocked freeing ports and shifting of liquids in partially filled tanks―caused the vessel to roll to port and downflood.
