US investigators have determined that a loose wire caused power failures on board the 9,962-TEU container ship Dali, leading to its collision with Baltimore's Francis Scott Key bridge in March 2024, reports London's Riviera Maritime Media. The incident killed six highway workers and brought down a long stretch of the bridge.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the faulty wiring connection triggered blackouts and loss of propulsion and steering. The inadequate connection prevented the wire from being fully inserted into a terminal block clamp, disrupting the vessel's electrical system.
NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy likened the effort to trace the fault to "hunting for a loose rivet on the Eiffel Tower." She said quick actions by pilots and authorities to halt bridge traffic saved lives.
The investigation found the Key Bridge was nearly 30 times above acceptable risk thresholds for critical US transport structures. Recommendations include countermeasures to strengthen bridges against vessel impacts and vulnerability assessments for 68 bridges across 19 states.
The Singapore-flagged Dali, owned by Grace Ocean and managed by Synergy Marine, had a history of blackouts. Preliminary reports linked earlier outages to maintenance and low fuel pressure in a backup generator.
Nine crew members remain in the US pending litigation. The Department of Justice has filed a civil suit against the ship's owners and managers, seeking $102 million in costs.
https://www.shippingazette.com/news?news_id=9251100000669
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