Skipper who hit 520 bridge 'asleep at the wheel'

The skipper at the helm of a tug and barge that smashed into the Evergreen Point Bridge on July 29 had fallen asleep at the wheel after getting too little rest in the previous two days, investigators said yesterday.

In addition to blaming tug Capt. Myron Kjos for the crash that caused about $500,000 in damage and restricted bridge traffic for 11 days, the Coast Guard also faulted the tug's owner, Sea Coast Towing.

Coast Guard authorities said they'll initiate a civil action against the company for failing to ensure that Kjos and others followed the rules that set a limit of 12 hours' work for each 24-hour period.

In addition, federal authorities will conduct a sweeping audit of other Puget Sound-area tug companies to check compliance with the rule.

Kjos could face penalties ranging from a written reprimand to loss of his license. Regardless of that action, though, the incident has ended Kjos' 30-year career on the water.

Sea Coast President Bob Dorn said Kjos and his bosses mutually agreed shortly after the accident to place him permanently on shore duty as a port captain.

"He's getting older. Maybe he doesn't need to be out there any more; that's the way he characterized it," Dorn said. Kjos, 59, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

In a detailed report yesterday, the Coast Guard said Kjos "fell asleep while in charge of the navigation watch" of the tug Chinook, "which led to the barge (hitting) the southernmost cement piling" supporting the bridge.

The tug was maneuvering an empty gravel barge from Kenmore across Lake Washington to the Ballard Locks on July 29. Kjos tried to raise the Montlake Bridge tender by VHF radio about 2:30 a.m. and began to make the west turn toward the Montlake Cut, but the vessels missed the turn, drifting south. Kjos told investigators that preparing for the turn was "the last thing he remembered doing prior to seeing the (520) bridge 100 yards ahead of him."

He quickly reversed the tug's engines and maneuvered to the left, avoiding a collision with five pilings but striking the sixth.

Although Kjos had gotten 13 hours' rest before the trip, Coast Guard investigators said he was interrupted three times, to pilot the vessel through the locks and maneuver barges before their outbound trips.

Analysis of Kjos' work hours showed him on watch for almost 24 out of more than 31 hours before the collision, the report said, and that he got no more than five hours and 40 minutes' sleep during that time.

In addition, Kjos failed to plot the tug and barge's position at required intervals during the trip and failed to navigate it properly, the Coast Guard said.

One of Kjos' jobs as a port captain, Dorn said, will be to maintain contact with boat crews in the field by radio and cellular phone and make sure, among other things, that they observe the 12-hour work limit. Dorn said the limit has been the company's policy, but investigators "do have an issue that we should have done a better job of watching what was happening," Dorn said.

The Coast Guard action against the company could bring an $11,000 fine. Coast Guard Capt. Michael Moore said the company has had a good record, but Sea Coast policy required Kjos to be on the bridge even at times he should have rested or slept.

That was because the less-experienced mate was not permitted to perform trickier moves such as docking or maneuvering through bridges, the report said. Kjos had to be on the bridge during those parts of the trip.

While the policy is aimed at safety, it had the opposite effect in this case because it "minimizes opportunities for lengthy rest periods," the report said.

Dorn said there wasn't a qualified mate available for the Chinook's crew the day of the accident, which occurred at the company's busiest time of year. He said Sea Coast will look "real hard" at the policy, which the Coast Guard said created a "possible conflict" between company safety rules and the 12-hour work limit.

Moore said his agency will audit other Puget Sound-area tug companies to see if they are complying with the 12-hour rule and if their policies also conflict. Because most marine accidents are caused by human failings, "it's something we are paying more attention to," Moore said.

The crash forced the shutdown of the bridge's eastbound lane, above the destroyed column, while temporary supports were put in place. A contractor has since built a new column, but it will be about two weeks before the temporary supports can be removed, said state project engineer Ray Arnold.

Sea Coast already has said its insurance company will reimburse the state for the cost of the repairs. The temporary supports cost $255,000, and the rest of the work is expected to cost about $250,000, Arnold said.

P-I reporter Larry Lange can be reached at 206-448-8313 or larrylange@seattle-pi.com

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