Report: failed engine control transfer led to wharf collision by ferry at Port of Quebec

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s (TSB) investigation into a passenger ferry collision in Québec, Quebec, highlights the need to better manage safety risks following changes to shipboard equipment and to require passenger safety management training for crew members of all passenger vessels.

On October 18, 2024, while the ferry Radisson was approaching a wharf at the Port of Québec, bridge personnel noticed that the engine control was not responding. Shortly after, the ferry struck the wharf, injuring four passengers and one crewmember.

In 2023, after Radisson’s engine and control system were replaced, a new procedure was developed to transfer engine control between bridge stations. The investigation found that the procedure did not provide sufficient guidance to support crew members during the transfer and that the system did not provide clear cues to confirm whether it had been successful.

Although a formal risk assessment had identified hazards associated with the change, crew training was the only step taken to reduce the risks. As a result, previously identified risks remained unmitigated, allowing unsafe conditions to persist.