Kapitan Khlebnikov icebreaker accidents and incidents

15 April 2020Crew / Passenger Deaths

On April 15, 2020, the ship's Master (Captain Pyotr Golikov) died from lung cancer. Born in Vladivostok (Primorsky Krai, Russia) he started his maritime career with FESCO (Far Eastern Shipping Company) as a Junior Officer. Golikov became the Kapitan Khlebnikov icebreaker's Master in 1989. Under his command, the ship 6 times transited the Northwest Passage (sea route connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through the Canadian Arctic). In 2004, Pyotr Golikov immigrated to Canada and was employed by Quark Expeditions as VP of Ship Operations.

15 November 2009Propulsion / Power Loss

On November 15, 2009, the icebreaker carrying 105 passengers plus 79 crew got stuck in sea ice in Antarctica. The accident occurred during 13-day roundtrip cruise from Ushuaia Argentina (itinerary November 3-16) in the Weddell Sea, approx 5 ml (8 km) off the Snow Hill Island (Antarctic Peninsula's eastern coast). Most passengers were UK citizens. Three of them were BBC film crew working on the documentary "Frozen Planet" (broadcasted in 2011).

Due to bad weather (strong winds and pack ice), the sea became impossible for the vessel to navigate through. All passengers and the crew were in no danger. Between Nov 15-20, the ship remained stranded, waiting for the weather to change. On November 20, it finally managed to break free of the ice, and on November 22 arrived back in Ushuaia.