Loose wire led to power outage on S’pore-flagged ship before March 2024 Baltimore bridge crash: NTSB
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
A Washington hearing is being held to determine what caused a cargo ship to crash into a Baltimore bridge in 2024, killing six people.
- NTSB found a loose wire caused the Dali's power failure, leading to the Baltimore bridge collapse in March 2024, killing six.
- Recommendations include periodic inspections of high voltage switchboards and quicker ship power recovery to prevent future crashes.
- The Key Bridge replacement is now estimated to cost US$4.3-5.2 billion, opening in late 2030, with an ongoing FBI criminal probe.
AI generated
WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Nov 18 that a loose wire led to a power failure on the cargo ship Dali that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, killing six people and wrecking the bridge.
The NTSB is holding a hearing in Washington to determine the probable cause of the incident that killed six construction workers on the bridge.
The board staff said they are recommending operators complete periodic inspections of high voltage switchboards and proposing changes that would allow ships to more quickly recover from loss of power.
The NTSB has said previously the Dali lost electrical power several times before the crash into the Key Bridge, including experiencing a blackout during in-port maintenance and shortly before the crash.
Power outages happen at sea and the NTSB has been considering new recommendations to prevent catastrophic collisions.
Assessing bridge safety
In March, the board called for urgent safety assessments of 68 bridges in 19 states including crossings like the Golden Gate Bridge, Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge and George Washington Bridge.
The review focuses on bridges built before 1991 and frequented by ocean-going vessels that have not undergone vulnerability assessments.
The crash of a Mexican Navy training ship into the Brooklyn Bridge in May also raised concerns about risks to bridges from vessels.
The NTSB said in 2024 that the Dali lost power about four minutes before the crash when electrical breakers unexpectedly tripped, causing a loss of power to all shipboard lighting and most equipment when it was 1km from the bridge.
A replacement bridge was initially estimated to cost US$1.7 billion to US$1.9 billion and be completed by late 2028.
On Nov 17, state officials said they now expect the bridge will cost US$4.3 billion to US$5.2 billion and open to traffic only in late 2030. They cited a new pier protection system and a new longer, higher design as reasons for the increased costs.
The FBI is conducting a criminal probe into the collapse. REUTERS
