Freighter that hit Baltimore bridge lost power the previous day, NTSB says

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday published a preliminary report on the March 26 wreck of the container ship Dali. That crash, which took place after the Dali lost electrical power, resulted in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Six people died, and one person was seriously injured.

Did the report uncover any significant revelations about the crash? Notably, the report indicates that the Dali’s troubles began the day before the crash when it experienced two electrical blackouts. On March 25, 10 hours before leaving Baltimore, a crewmember mistakenly closed an inline engine exhaust damper while performing maintenance. This caused the engine to stall as the exhaust was blocked from traveling up the stack and exiting the vehicle, prompting the blackout. Crew members restored power by closing two breakers, but the ship temporarily lost power again due to insufficient fuel pressure. Power was eventually restored, and the ship got underway the next day.

What about the night of the crash? The crash took place on March 26. Minutes before impact, two of the ship’s breakers shut down while the boat was just over a half-mile from the bridge, according to the report. Two of the boat’s four generators continued to operate, but the shutdown triggered an automatic engine shutoff. As a result, the propeller stopped spinning. The two dead generators also powered the rudder, meaning the ship could not course-correct. A backup diesel generator was activated before the collision, restoring power to the rudder, according to the crew. However, without the propeller running, the rudder’s effectiveness was limited.

The pilots’ dispatcher notified the U.S. Coast Guard and the Maryland Transportation Authority, or MDTA, that the vessel had lost power. The senior pilot also ordered the crew to begin dropping anchor. The crew then managed to restore power to the vessel, but moments later, the ship suffered another blackout. The pilot ordered the ship to steer 35 degrees to port, but the propeller remained inoperative.

Meanwhile, MDTA began ordering traffic on the bridge to shut down. The boat then struck a pillar holding up the bridge. A crew of seven construction workers and a road maintenance inspector were working on the bridge at the time. The maintenance inspector was walking along the bridge at the time of the crash, broke into a run, and managed to get to the last remaining joist before the bridge collapsed underneath him. The seven crew members plunged into the water. Only one managed to escape after freeing himself from his truck. One of the crew members of the Dali suffered injuries from falling debris.

Were the crewmembers of the Dali under any influence during the incident? Authorities tested the senior and apprentice pilots and all crewmembers, minus the one who had suffered injuries and received medical treatment for alcohol and drugs. According to the report, all tests came back negative.

When will the final report be released? The NTSB did not say when it would be released but said that its investigation was still ongoing.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about the fund to repair the Baltimore bridge running into roadblocks.