Cargo Ship That Caused Baltimore Bridge Collapse Had Power Blackout Hours Before Leaving Port [View all]
Source: US News and World Report/AP
May 14, 2024, at 4:18 p.m
BALTIMORE (AP) — Investigators probing the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore said in a preliminary report Tuesday the cargo ship Dali experienced an electrical blackout about 10 hours before leaving the Port of Baltimore while undergoing maintenance.
The power outage was caused by a crewmember mistakenly closing an exhaust damper, causing the ship’s engine to stall, the report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board said. The ship lost power again and crashed into one of the bridge's supporting columns shortly after leaving the port on March 26, which brought the bridge down in seconds. A full investigation could take a year or more, the agency said.
The board launched its investigation almost immediately after the collapse, which sent six members of a roadwork crew plunging to their deaths. Investigators boarded the ship to document the scene and collect evidence, including the vessel’s data recorder and information from its engine room, according to board chair Jennifer Homendy. Investigators also interviewed the captain and crew members.
“Our mission is to determine why something happened, how it happened and to prevent it from recurring,” Homendy said at a news conference days after the disaster.
Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-05-14/cargo-ship-that-caused-baltimore-bridge-collapse-had-power-blackout-hours-before-leaving-port
