Communications Problems in Marine Casualties: Development and Evaluation of Investigation, Reporting, and Analysis Procedures

The contribution of ineffective communications to marine casualties was studied. A standardized procedure was used to guide casualty investigations by Coast Guard investigators over a six-month period. Analyses of the resulting 589 casualty reports were conducted to characterize the extent and nature of communications problems in critical marine casualties. The results suggest that increased efforts to address these problems through improvements in operational procedures and training could reduce occurrences of such casualties. The study procedures were revised for future use in marine casualty investigations.