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Subsea transponder wire parted
What happened
A tripod positioning transponder wire parted from the tripod framework whilst the vessel was repositioning and needed to re-plumb the transponder. No assets were close by at time of incident. Whilst coming up on the winch it was noticed that there was no weight on the wire; on recovery to the surface it was discovered that the 4mm diameter wire had parted approximately 1m from the tripod lifting eye. The lost tripod was subsequently recovered to deck by divers and the crane.
What went wrong?
The equipment failure was caused by excessive wear and tear on equipment; the wire was corroded and was not replaced frequently enough
Action
- Replaced the damaged wire and conducted a performance test prior to use;
- Regular visual inspection prior to launch and during recovery now conducted;
- Replacement of the spool wire every 6 months added to the vessel PMS.
Members may wish to refer to
Safety Event
Published: 21 April 2022
Download: 
IMCA SF 10/22
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