Viking Sky cruise liner’s engine failure was due to low oil pressure
An investigation by the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) has concluded that the cruise liner Viking Sky’s engine failure was caused by low oil pressure.
The cruise ship, which is scheduled to visit Falmouth on September 29, got into difficulties off the coast of Norway amid stormy seas in the afternoon.
Some 200 Britons were aboard the ship, which sent a mayday call and had 1,300 passengers evacuated from it.
A spokesperson from the NMA said that the level of oil in the tank was within set limits, although relatively low.
The heavy seas in the area are thought to have disturbed the oil in the tanks so much that it was unable to supply the engines properly.
This triggered an alarm system indicating a low level of oil, which in turn caused the engines to automatically shut down.
Viking Ocean Cruises has made the following statement: “We welcome the prompt and efficient investigation carried out by the NMA and we fully understand and acknowledge their findings. We have inspected the levels on all our sister ships and are now revising our procedures to ensure that this issue could not be repeated. We will continue to work with our partners and the regulatory bodies in supporting them with the ongoing investigations,”
Norwegian Maritime Authority is in a continuous dialogue with the company and classification society.
It will follow up the ongoing work to rectify damage on vessels.
Story by Marco Ferrari, Falmouth Packet reporter
