The massive Amoco Cadiz was caught in a winter storm that damaged the ship’s rudder. The ship put out a distress call, but while several ships responded, none were able to prevent the ship from running aground. On March 17, the gigantic supertanker broke in half, sending its 69 million gallons of oil into the English Channel. The French later sunk the ship.
Read more: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/the-13-largest-oil-spills-in-history#ixzz3kHeUdhPk