The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued six safety recommendations on Tuesday, October 27, following its investigation into a 2024 Lake Erie collision involving a recreational vessel and an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) used for research.
The collision occurred on August 10, 2024, six statute miles (9.7 kilometres) east-southeast of Monroe, Michigan. A 45-foot (13.7-metre) motor yacht travelling at about 25 mph (40 km/h) struck a SeaTrac SP-48 USV operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). The recreational vessel’s operator sustained a minor foot injury.
The USV was a constructive total loss valued at $186,000. Damage to the recreational vessel was estimated at $100,000.
The NTSB determined that the probable cause was the USV’s inadequate detectability in the prevailing conditions, combined with insufficient active monitoring for its operating mode and actual autonomy, which left it without a proper lookout.