M/V Baneasa; Aleutian Island chain, Alaska

Aleutian Island chain, Alaska | 1996-Dec-25

Initial Notification: At 2010 December 24th the M/V BANEASA reported to the USCG that their rudder was stuck hard over to starboard and they were adrift 70 nm south of Atka Island, AK. The vessel is 833 ft. carrying a cargo of 4250 barrels (178,500 gallons) heavy fuel oil and 800 bbls (33,600 gallons) diesel. On Christmas morning 1996, the M/V Baneasa, an 833-foot unladen freighter, reported that her rudder was stuck hard to starboard and she was drifting at the mercy of the winds and seas. She was roughly 70 miles south of Amilia Island in the Aleutian Chain with southeast winds. The USCG determined that she would probably go aground sometime during the morning of December 26. The USCG mobilized part of the Pacific Strike Team (PST), NOAA was notified, NAVSUPSALV was activated, and State and Federal resource agencies were put on high alert. The first vessel on-scene was the USCG Cutter Midget who put a line to the Baneasa, providing a small measure of control. The RP arranged for a small tug to arrive on-scene by midnight of December 26 with a much larger one, the Agnes Foss, due to arrive the next day. An incident command post (ICP) was established at the new ADES Emergency Operations Center on Fort Richardson in Anchorage, a forward command post was established at Atka Island, a USCG-130 overflight occurred, NAVSUPSALV spill equipment was mobilized to Elmendorf Air Force Base for possible transfer to the scene, and PST personnel were en route to Adak with pumps and dewatering gear. USCG district 17. Keyword: NAVSUPSALV.