MSC Shipmanagement Limited has been fined US$6 million following a 2024 incident involving the containership MSC Michigan VII in Charleston, South Carolina. The vessel operator pleaded guilty to failing to report a hazardous condition aboard the ship and obstructing an investigation by the US Coast Guard (USCG) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). MSC Shipmanagement was also sentenced to four years of probation. In addition, the company must conduct a root-cause analysis of the hazardous conditions linked to the incident. The vessel’s chief engineer, Fernando San Diego San Juan, was fined US$2,000. He had previously pleaded guilty to failing to report a hazardous condition and obstructing the investigation. MSC Michigan VII accelerated to 16-17 knots The incident occurred on 5 June 2024 after MSC Michigan VII departed Charleston. During its outbound transit, a linkage rod disconnected from the vessel’s governor after crew members made a manual adjustment. The governor controls engine speed. As a result, the main engine could not be slowed and the containership accelerated to approximately 16-17 knots. Authorities evacuated the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge amid concerns that the vessel could strike the structure. However, the ship was successfully navigated beneath the bridge and continued out to sea. Local beaches were also cleared because of concerns about the vessel’s wake. According to the US Department of Justice, the wake injured two people and damaged ships and piers. Hazardous engine practice went unreported MSC Shipmanagement and San Juan admitted that the engineering crew had manually adjusted the linkage rod between the governor and fuel rack on previous occasions. The adjustments were used when the engine failed to reach the exact revolutions per minute requested from the bridge. According to the Justice Department, only trained technicians should make such adjustments. None of the engineering crew aboard MSC Michigan VII were qualified to perfor