NTSB reports on $1.2 million passenger vessel fire

Written by Nick Blenkey

Qualifier 105 on fire in the Northern Enterprises Boat Yard in Homer, Alaska on Jan. 19, 2023. [Photo: Homer Volunteer Fire Department)]

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its final report on its investigation of a January 19, 2023 passenger vessel fire that broke out aboard the 53 year old Qualifier 105 when it was being stored ashore for the winter in the Northern Enterprises Boat Yard in Homer, Alaska.

Owned by Q105 LLC, the 100-foot-long vessel was constructed in 1970 of aluminum and was certificated under Title 46 Code of Federal Regulations Subchapter T. It was used for marine survey, oceanographic research, environmental clean-up, housing, and private charters.

The vessel had a salon on the main deck and, above that, a wheelhouse. Below the main deck, forward to aft, were a void space forward of the collision bulkhead, the forward stateroom compartment, the aft stateroom compartment, the engine room, forward fish tanks, aft fish tanks, and the lazarette.

The fire started in a stateroom below the main deck. It was extinguished by the local fire department and no pollution or injuries were reported. The owners declared the vessel a loss of $1.2 million.

Although welders were on board performing aluminum hot work before the fire, investigators ruled out the hot work as a source of the fire, as there were no signs of a fire after or while conducting the work.

Investigators concluded the passenger vessel fire was caused by an undetermined electrical source that ignited a stateroom ceiling. The substantial use of combustible materials for stateroom ceilings and bulkheads throughout the vessel’s accommodation spaces contributed to the extent of the fire damage.

Although investigators could not definitively determine that stray welding current caused the Qualifier 105 fire, the NTSB report highlighted precautions to take for stray welding current.

“Stray welding current is a fault condition in which current goes through unintended conductors and back to the return terminal of a welding machine; it can cause fires by overheating wires,” the report said. “To avoid potential fires caused from stray welding current, maintenance personnel, owners, and operators should follow industry practice to place the work clamp (the return current clamp) of the welding machine as close as possible to the point of welding.”