Parasailing as a recreational activity began in as an outgrowth of an activity called “parascending;” a land-based activity used to teach people how to parachute without having to use an aircraft.…
Kyle McAvoy (Captain, US Coast Guard Retired) is an expert in Marine Safety with over 26 years of experience in all aspects of ship inspections and marine incident investigations. He applies his expertise to forensic investigations involving the commercial and recreational use of our inland, coastal, and international waterways and shorelines. Kyle's casework includes collisions and allisions, marine engineering failures, and industrial mishaps at landside maritime facilities.
Kyle's distinguished career in the Coast Guard's Marine Safety and Prevention programs included inspections of all types of commercial ships, the investigation of both major and minor maritime accidents, the review and approval of engineering proposals involving ship construction or modifications, and the development of national policies and procedures that will direct the Coast Guard into the coming decades. While Kyle investigated numerous casualties throughout his Coast Guard career, two of his most publicized investigations include the Athos I and the Lady Mary. The Cypriot tanker, Athos I, struck uncharted river bottom debris which led to a 265,000 gallon crude oil spill that shut down the Delaware River for several days in 2004. The Lady Mary was a scallop fishing boat that sank off the coast of New Jersey in 2009, costing the lives of 6 fishermen.
Kyle has several distinguished Coast Guard awards, including a Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, and a Department of Homeland Security Secretary's Gold Medal. He earned a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, as well as a Master of Engineering (ME) in Manufacturing, both from the University of Michigan. He also has a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mathematics. Kyle has been published in Coast Guard periodicals and presented in various forums on Coast Guard regulatory compliance issues. Kyle is a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).
Experienced in the many facets of marine safety within the maritime and boating industry. This includes casualty and incident investigation, waterways management, naval architecture and marine engineering, U.S. Coast Guard mariner credentialing, incident reconstruction, the development and implementation of national and international standards of care, marine environmental stewardship, hazard analysis, ship inspections, safety training, etc.
Honorably served a 26+ year career as Coast Guard officer. Retired from military service as a senior officer at the rank of Captain (O-6). Coast Guard marine safety career progressed from a field level inspector and investigator to a senior executive position responsible for establishing national policy.
Vessel Inspections – Inspected/examined commercial vessels to verify compliance with safety, security, and environmental stewardship standards, and to ensure they were fit for their intended routes and service. Evaluated credentialed/professional crews to assess their requisite competencies and contributions to marine operations. Inspected vessel and boat types ranging from small water taxi’s to internationally trading ocean-going vessels (tankers, freighters, ferries, charter boats, oil and gas industry supply and support vessels, fishing vessels, etc.). Enforced mandated compliance regimes as included in the governing standards of care, including international and domestic laws/regulations, classification society rules, interagency agreements, and adopted/accepted technical standards and other developed policies.
Casualty Investigations – Investigated vessel and personnel casualties/incidents to determine causal factors, assess personnel and/or owner/operator liabilities and to take relevant enforcement action if warranted, including criminal/civil/administrative action. Analyzed casualty trends and assessed potential hazard and/or risk factors facing ports, waterways, vessels, facilities, mariners, longshoremen, passengers, etc.
Waterways Management – Maintained and managed hazards to navigation, and potential hazards within the U.S. Navigable Water’s, i.e. the Marine Transportation System (MTS), to minimize deaths, personal injuries, and property loss or damage (including pollution prevention). Activities included but were not limited to creating and managing safety and security zones, managing ice seasons, anchorages, vessel traffic restrictions, marine events, and aids to navigation.
Naval Architect/Marine Engineer – Used advanced education (master’s degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering) to review and approve engineering and technical ship design and modification proposals to appropriate international and domestic regulations and policies, on behalf of the U.S. government.
Senior Executive – Carried out special projects on behalf of the US Coast Guard’s Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy. Led the Coast Guard’s program to create, update and/or maintain the service’s ship inspection programs. Drafted and promulgated national policies as needed and worked to ensure high competency levels of the Coast Guard’s Marine Inspector workforce.
Associate
2016 to presentConduct technical investigations and analysis, and provide reports and testimony as needed to resolve commercial and personal injury and property damage litigation matters within both the commercial and recreational maritime domain.
Office Chief, Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance Policy
2012 to 2016Led a national program comprised of four divisions. Three dedicated to governing the Coast Guard’s inspection and examination of both U.S. and foreign flagged commercial vessels and offshore facilities, and one dedicated to policies relative to credentialing professional merchant mariners. Within the first three, analyzed ship/boat/facility compliance trends, hazard/risk trends, and established inspection hierarchies and procedures designed to improve safety, security, and environmental stewardship/protection. Studied newly implemented and pending international regulatory mandates (SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW, etc.) and developed inspection execution strategies to facilitate industry related improvements towards compliance with safety standards. Developed and implemented national policy standards (including federal regulations) to achieve the compliance safety improvements and to complement the international standards as needed. Established Coast Guard inspector qualification standards, core competencies, and training standards to improve how Coast Guard federal regulations and other standards served to protect crew, passengers, material, and the environment. Shaped the U.S. government’s implementation and development of national ship inspection and examination policies to ensure the safety, security, and environmental compliance of all commercial vessels. Examples and areas of focus included, but were not limited to:
Traveling Marine Inspector
Advisor to Offshore National Center of Expertise
On behalf of the Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, led USCG inspections and investigations on challenging and unique cases beyond field unit capability. Examples and areas of focus included, but were not limited to:
Chief of the Prevention Department
2004 to 2008Led 150 plus member department to ensure the safety, security, and environmental stewardship of the maritime domain in the PA, NJ, & DE Tri-State region in accordance with applicable standards of care. Led and managed inspectors, investigators, and responders in how they carried out their duties. Imposed operational restrictions or controls as necessary to minimize hazards and risks (including pollution threats) and to maximize safety and security. Vessel inspection assessments evaluated hull integrity (strength/watertight integrity), machinery/engineering systems, lifesaving systems, fire protection systems, navigation systems, stability characteristics, etc., to ensure vessels were fit for their intended route and service. Trained new Coast Guard Inspectors and Examiners on all processes. Reviewed and inspected technical modification proposals for regional US commercial ships in accordance with applicable standards. Conducted ship and personnel casualty investigations to determine an incident’s cause and evaluate the need for regulatory or other standards of care improvements, as well as assess any potential responsible party liability. Oversaw two regional Aids to Navigation Teams (ANT’s) to enhance and maintain the management of the waterways, i.e., waterways management. Examples and areas of focus included, but were not limited to:
Chief of the Tank Vessel and Offshore Division
Salvage Engineering Response Team Leader
Led division that reviewed and approved plans and drawings for new ship construction and engineering design modifications for commercial tank vessels and OCS industry vessels. Ensured designs/plans were in accordance with international & national standards and regulatory oversight programs. Oversaw the salvage expertise provided to Coast Guard units responding to major shipping incidents. Examples and areas of focus included, but were not limited to:
Ship Inspector/Examiner
Ship Plan Reviewer
Accident Investigator
Trainer
Carried out Flag State Inspections and Port State Control Examinations on commercial ships to assess a vessel’s fitness for its intended route and service, and to verify compliance with regulatory standards; imposed operational restrictions or controls as necessary to maximize safety and security, and to minimize pollution threats. For international detentions, filed appropriate reports via International Maritime Organization (IMO) protocol. Assessments included evaluation of hull integrity (strength/watertight integrity), machinery/engineering systems, lifesaving systems, fire protection systems, navigation systems, stability characteristics, etc. Trained new Coast Guard Inspectors and Examiners on all processes. Reviewed and inspected technical modification proposals for regional US commercial ships in accordance with applicable standards. Reviews included detailed assessment of fire protection systems, lifesaving systems, egress capabilities, stability analysis, etc. Conducted ship and personnel casualty investigations to determine cause and evaluate the need for regulatory improvements, as well as potential responsible party liability.
Staff Officer
1994 to 1996Managed Coast Guard ship inspection and maritime casualty investigation activities throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Reviewed and analyzed Coast Guard positions on appeals, civil penalties, and pending vessel compliance policy. Oversaw Coast Guard Personnel safety training initiatives. Oversaw the implementation of the newly developed Coast Guard Streamlined Inspection Program (SIP) which utilized auditing and oversight methodologies over ship owner self-inspections. Studied emergency egress and lifesaving capabilities in combination with Search and Rescue capacities applicable to rescue efforts from high capacity passenger vessels on the Mississippi River.
Ship Inspector/Examiner
Accident Investigator
Suspension & Revocation Proceeding Presenter
Carried out Flag State Inspections and Port State Control Examinations on commercial ships to assess the vessel’s fitness for its intended route and service, and to verify compliance with regulatory standards and impose operational restrictions or controls as necessary to maximize safety and security and to minimize pollution threats. For international detentions, filed appropriate reports via IMO protocol. Assessments included evaluation of hull integrity (strength/watertight integrity), machinery/engineering systems, lifesaving systems, fire protection systems, navigation systems, stability characteristics, etc. Conducted ship and personnel casualty investigations to determine an incident’s cause and evaluate the need for regulatory or other standards of care improvements, as well as assess any potential responsible party liability. Investigated potential acts of negligence, misconduct, or violations of regulation or law, by professional mariners as outline in Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 4 and 5, and then prepared and presented government/Coast Guard cases within administrative Suspension and Revocation (S&R) Proceedings before an Administrative Law Judge.
Master of Science in Engineering - Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan, 2000
Master of Engineering - Manufacturing Engineering, University of Michigan, 2000
Bachelor of Science – Mathematics (Physics Minor), State University of New York College at Fredonia
Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME)
v. 05/1/23
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