Why the Viking Sky four engines quit functioning

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A cruise ship that was the focus of a daring rescue operation off Norway’s frigid North Sea coast became disabled because its engines didn’t have enough lubricating oil, the country’s top maritime official said Wednesday. Lars Alvestad, the acting director general of the Norwegian Maritime Authority, said the amount of oil aboard the Viking Sky was “relatively low” but still “within set limits.” “The heavy seas probably caused movements in the tanks so large that the supply to the lubricating oil pumps stopped,” Alvestad said. “This triggered an alarm indicating a low level of lubrication oil, which in turn, shortly thereafter, caused an automatic shutdown of the engines.” Viking Sky “suffered a power ‘blackout’ in challenging weather conditions,” he said.

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