Just before midnight on 20 March 2016, the bulk carrier Sparna was outbound on the Columbia River when her helm went the wrong way during a starboard turn. The vessel touched a rocky shoal near the forward tanks and grounded; speed fell from 8.5 to 3.5 knots as hull damage occurred near the wood‑chip dock.
1 | Accident snapshot
| Local time | 23 : 37 (PDT) |
| Manoeuvre | Starboard turn to follow the Wauna Channel outbound |
| Orders | Pilot: “Mid-ships … Starboard 20.” Helmsman acknowledged but applied port 20° |
| Result | Vessel exited channel, touched a rocky shoal; two forward tanks flooded; repairs ≈ USD 560 k |
2 | HOM cue that addresses the error
| On-screen cue (advisory) | Trigger* | What the bridge team hears / sees |
|---|---|---|
| WRONG HELM + short audible signal | Rudder starts moving opposite to the spoken order | Instant prompt to correct the helm and align with the pilot’s command |
Cue is advisory only; no control lock or acknowledgement.
3 | Alternate timeline with HOM active
| Time | Real event | HOM cue | Likely bridge response |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23:35:40 | Pilot orders “Starboard 20” | — | — |
| 23:35:42 | Wheel begins to port 20° (error) | WRONG HELM + short sound | Pilot & master notice immediately; order wheel hard-starboard |
| 23:35:55 | Rudder now swinging correctly to starboard | Banner disappears automatically | Ship remains centred in channel |
| 23:37 | (Grounding in reality) | — | No grounding; no hull damage |
4 | Safety margin gained
- Error highlighted in < 3 s while the vessel was still ≈0.15 NM from the shoal.
- Track margin: correcting to starboard 20° at that point keeps the vessel inside the dredged channel.
- No repair costs, cargo delay or tug assistance.
Take-home message
A brief wheel‑direction mistake took Sparna out of the channel. Helm Order Monitor’s WRONG HELM banner, backed by a short sound signal, would have surfaced that slip when it started—giving the bridge team a timely cue to correct the helm and stay safe.
