A livestock carrier’s engine failure in the Port of Fremantle, Australia, earlier this year highlights the need for ship owners and managers to properly manage maintenance, and for marine pilots to follow
A livestock carrier’s engine failure in the Port of Fremantle, Australia, earlier this year highlights the need for ship owners and managers to properly manage maintenance, and for marine pilots to follow communication protocols, an ATSB final report notes.
On 4 March 2025, Kuwait-flagged livestock carrier Al Messilah was under pilotage into the Port of Fremantle, Western Australia, when it briefly lost propulsion near the Inner Harbour entrance.
After the initial loss of propulsion was resolved, the engine failed again as the ship was transiting the Inner Harbour.
The ship was manoeuvred safely to berth with tug assistance, but the ATSB’s investigation found communication issues increased risk during the incident.
The investigation’s final report notes Fremantle Ports’ formal protocols designated VHF channel 12 as the primary channel for vessel traffic service (VTS) communications, and channel 8 for towage operations.
“However, the pilotage provider, Fremantle Pilots, routinely used VHF channel 8 for pilotage communications during Inner Harbour transits, expecting it to be monitored by all involved parties, including VTS,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell explained.
“During the Al Messilah incident, the marine pilot’s attempts to contact VTS on channel 8 about the engine failure were unsuccessful. This deviation from established protocol
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