The cargo ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March after experiencing a power outage had two separate blackouts 10 hours before the incident took place, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report published Tuesday, revealing there were more power issues before the crash than previously known.
The ship was bound for Sri Lanka. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via ... [+]
The 24-page NTSB report found the cargo ship, known as the Dali, lost power twice before departing the Port of Baltimore, with the first blackout occurring after a crew member mistakenly closed an exhaust damper during maintenance, causing the engine to stall.
The second power outage occurred after a generator, which started when the ship’s system first detected a loss of power, experienced a loss in fuel pressure.
The preliminary report does not clarify whether the outages prior to departure were related to the two later blackouts that directly resulted in the Dali striking a bridge support beam.
The later blackouts, which occurred immediately prior to the incident, included a breaker trip that cut the ship’s propulsion, which was fixed, and a follow-up outage that occurred 0.2 miles from the bridge and could not be fixed before the collision, causing the bridge to collapse.
The report confirmed the deaths of six construction workers on the bridge at the time of its collapse and noted one of the Dali’s 23 crew members was seriously injured.
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The NTSB is investigating the Dali’s power distribution system and the incident’s probable cause. A full investigation could take up to one year to conduct.
The Dali’s crew members are still aboard the ship more than a month after its collision with the bridge. They have been interviewed by investigators and had their phones seized, the Associated Press reported.
A portion of the collapsed bridge still lying atop the ship was destroyed in a controlled demolition Monday. Dali crew members sheltered in a designated area on the ship during the demolition, which sent parts of the structure falling into water while some debris remained on top of the ship. Authorities are attempting to have the ship and bridge debris cleared by the end of the month.
Critical Part Of Collapsed Baltimore Bridge Destroyed In Controlled Demolition (Photos) (Forbes)