Ship suffered power blackout after fire in engine room

A "catastrophic" engine failure caused a fire onboard a ship while its crew was conducting sea trials in the Firth of Forth, an investigation has found.

The Kommandor Susan suffered a "complete power blackout", lost propulsion and started to drift after leaving Leith in Edinburgh on 25 January 2025.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report said the crew heard a "loud bang" moments before the ship's fire alarm was activated.

It was possible to restore some power after the fire was extinguished and, with help from two tugs, the vessel was able to return to Leith. No-one was injured.

The MAIB said among key safety issues it identified was the use of "non-genuine" engine components during a major overhaul in 2019.

The report said the engine was rebuilt following the fire using original manufacturer's parts.

The MAIB said it had made no recommendations as a result of its investigation, but had written to the ship's previous owner to highlight the need for the monitoring of "all critical maintenance activities".

The Kommandor Susan was built in 1999 as an offshore supply vessel.

It was converted in 2019 for geophysical survey work.