Inside Out, a BBC investigative programme to be broadcastlater on Monday, says the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) also found acrew member had fallen asleep while on watch.
The 1,800-dwtDanio (built 2001) got stuck on rocks in the Farne Islands on 16 March with a cargo of timber.
It tooktwo weeks for the vessel to be refloated.
InsideOut found the crew also "forgot" to use the alarm system.
MCA