Grounding due to lack of attention from the pilot

Causes:

• Failure to maintain situational awareness and attention while navigating:

- Overreliance on a singular piece of equipment while navigating. The pilot was using his own handheld device for navigation without cross checking with ship’s navigation equipment

• Distraction / personal task during navigation - The pilot was on phone calls and drafting an e-mail Inadequate bridge resource management:

- Master or C/O not on bridge during pilotage

- Lack of assertiveness on part of the OOW to challenge the pilot due to the cultural difference and seniority in designation

• Inadequate communication – There was no direct communication between the OOW and pilot when the pilot missed the important course alteration which led to the grounding

Lessons learnt:

• Strictly comply with the Company's policy prohibiting the use of cell phones and other distractions on the bridge during navigation
• Ensure continuous information exchange between the bridge team and pilot for the duration of the pilotage
• The Master / OOW remains in-charge of navigation even in the presence of pilot. Hence, it is important to question pilot’s decision when in doubt
• Share the incident to all fleet ships as a learning experience