18 months ago, in March 2024, the MV Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore Harbor.
The National Transportation Safety Board has released the summary section of its report on the incident.
There are many findings in the report, and lots to think about, but a particularly interesting part is the loose wire that crippled the ship at a critical moment. The NTSB made a very good 2 minute video explaining exactly what went wrong.
Another very interesting observation is this:
Contributing to the collapse of the Key Bridge and the loss of life was the lack of countermeasures to reduce the bridge’s vulnerability to collapse due to impact by ocean-going vessels, which have only grown larger since the Key Bridge’s opening in 1977. When the Japan-flagged containership Blue Nagoya contacted the Key Bridge after losing propulsion in 1980, the 390-foot-long vessel caused only minor damage. The Dali, however, is 10 times the size of the Blue Nagoya.
This seems like a sensible recommendation in response to that observation:
To the US Coast Guard:
1. Conduct and publish the results of a study that examines the availability, feasibility, and safety benefits of redundant means to ensure that large singlepropulsion-engine cargo vessels maintain propulsion and steering when maneuvering in restricted waters.
Quite a lot has changed in 50 years. There's lots to learn, and lots to do.
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