Maritime Casualty Tabulation (1972)

PDFTech ReportDOT-TSC-OST-74-30PB-239 456CasualtiesCollisionsCommunications satellitesDistress alerting systemsDistress signalsGroundings (Maritime accidents)Radio relay systemsSafety and securitySearch and rescue operationsStatisticsTables (Data)Transportation safetyWaterWater transportationUnited StatesUnited States. Dept. of Transportation. Office of the SecretaryMackenzie, Franklin D.John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, (U.S.)NTL-MARINE/WATERWAYS TRANSPORTATION-Marine SafetyNTL-MARINE/WATERWAYS TRANSPORTATION-MARINE/WATERWAYS TRANSPORTATIONNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITYNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Marine SafetyVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterThe report creates a data base of the maritime casualties during 1972 which would have been candidates for a distress channel in a satellite communications service. There are 1546 casualties recorded in this report for the calendar year 1972; of these casualties 796 were large ocean crossing vessels. The ocean crossing casualty list includes 54 vessels sunk, 158 collisions, 289 emergencies, 118 run aground and 177 suffering weather damage. These 796 vessels represent 13% of the total casualties, 500 gross ton or over, occurring during this time period. This percentage could use a satellite communication service for distress alerting and search and rescue. The remaining 87% of the casualties happened close to shore, in harbors, on lakes, canals or rivers and would use conventional communication service