“A properly functioning bridge team requires that all its members maintain a shared mental model to actively monitor a ship’s progress,” Mr Mitchell said. ”This relies on relevant information being conveyed to all members of the team, and actions that are incorrect being identified, communicated and rectified immediately.”

Things started to unfold about an hour later when a single passenger standing port side abreast of the mainmast heard a noise from aloft but dismissed the noise as normal for a wooden vessel and did not discuss the sounds with any other passenger or crewmember.