Wightlink ferry engine failures 'dated back to 2010'

An engine burst into flames during a crossing in August 2018

A ferry company had suffered a string of engine failures before a "catastrophic" breakdown and onboard fire, an investigation has found.

Wightlink ferries operating between Lymington in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight suffered engine failures in 2018.

A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report identified a number of safety issues following other engine failures dating back to 2010.

Wightlink said it accepted and had implemented the recommendations.

In August 2018 an engine on the Wight Sky was "engulfed in flames" as the ship, carrying 117 passengers, was preparing to enter the Lymington River.

The failed engine had replaced one which had also failed and caught fire in September 2017, resulting in a fire and serious injuries to an engineer.

The vessel Wight Sky suffered two "catastrophic failures" in 2018

In December 2018 a newly-built engine on the ferry failed after only 389 hours of service, due to a factory error, the MAIB said.

Its investigation subsequently found other incidents across Wightlink's fleet of Wight Class ferries dating back to 2010.

"Consequently, the scope of the investigation was broadened to include the forensic examination and testing of five failed engines and their components, a full review of the vessels' propulsion system design and operation," it said.

The report found issues with "maintenance management and engine condition monitoring" contributed to the string of engine failures.

It said there was "insufficient technical oversight of the engines' operating parameters" and "a lack of clear ownership for engine maintenance and engine condition monitoring".

Engine manufacturer Volvo Penta was told to inform its other customers of an issue with the units' oil filters.

In a statement Wightlink said: There have been no serious engine failures on Wight class vessels since 2018.

"The ships operate a highly reliable service, with fewer than one in a hundred sailings cancelled for any reason."

A Wightlink engineer was seriously injured in a fire in 2017