Eleven barges broke away and three later became stuck against the McAlpine Dam in Louisville, Ky., after a tow struck a dike while preparing to enter a nearby lock structure.
The incident happened at about 0224 on March 28, 2023, as the 3,000-hp Queen City was downbound in the Ohio River during high water. Federal investigators traced the incident to the towboat pilot’s failure to account for a strong outdraft current near the dam.
“The Queen City pilot intended to steer into the entrance channel to the locks, knowing that an outdraft would set the tow toward the Vane Dike and the dam gates,” the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its report issued in May 2024. “Although the pilot attempted to steer the tow to the left, he did not anticipate the strength of the outdraft and its effect on the tow.”
“Consequently,” the report continued, “his approach to the channel upon passing through the Clark Memorial Highway Bridge did not effectively compensate for the outdraft that set the tow on to the Vane Dike.”
No injuries or pollution were reported. Total damage from the incident reached $2 million, a figure that included $1.475 million in damage to nine barges and $500,000 worth of lost corn. Neither the dam nor Queen City sustained any damage.
Just days before the incident, on March 25, 2023, the Ohio River experienced the highest water levels of the year in Louisville. Authorities fully opened eight of the nine McAlpine Dam gates. They remained open at the time of the Queen City collision, when the upper gauge at the McAlpine Locks measured river height at 17.5 feet. The downstream gauge measured water flow at over 400,000 cubic feet per second.
The Captain of the Port for Sector Ohio Valley had not imposed any restrictions on the waterway on the morning of the incident. In cases where the river reaches 18 feet, authorities often will require daytime transits.
Queen City departed a Hebron, Ky., fleeting area on March 27 for Paducah, Ky. It had seven crewmembers on board led by a veteran towboat captain with 24 years of experience. The pilot had worked as a mariner for seven years, two of which were spent as a mate/pilot. He had passed through the McAlpine Lock at least 15 times, the NTSB report said, although never during high water.
The pilot, who was not identified, was alone in the wheelhouse as the tow passed through the 802-foot-wide channel span of the Clark Memorial Highway Bridge at 0218. The pilot lost control of the tow as he steered toward the Portland Channel, some 800 yards downriver, that led to the McAlpine Lock. He told investigators the dam outflow current “ended up grabbing me.”
“Coming down in there, I believed fully in myself and my crew, we (were) going to be able to make that approach in that lock correctly and safely, and coming into it, I was fully confident in myself,” he told investigators.
The vessel was lined up to enter the channel as the tow approached the lock at 0220. Four minutes later, the starboard sides of the second and third barges in the starboard string struck the Vane Dike mooring cell. Within those four minutes, the current pulled the tow about 312 feet toward the middle of the river.
NTSB investigators estimate Queen City slid toward the lower dam gates at about 33 yards per minute (1.1 mph) at the time of the collision.
The impact with the Vane Dike mooring cell caused all 11 barges in the tow to break apart. Authorities closed the river for some time afterward since one breakaway barge contained methanol.
In a written statement, the pilot acknowledged almost losing the boat during the incident.
The captain, in his own statement, described that section of river as a challenging spot that becomes even more difficult during high water. He also recounted warning the pilot to be aware of possible challenges while navigating in this area.
“I just told him to be careful, try to keep it above the sailing line, not to get below it,” the captain said.
NTSB officials said swift currents resulting from high water pose unique hazards for vessels transiting inland rivers. They added that mariners should consult available resources, such as Waterways Action Plans and company policies, when passage planning.
The Mississippi and Ohio Valley and Tributaries Waterways Action Plan included a cautionary note about strong outdrafts on the upstream end of the Vane Dike during high flows. “Mariners are advised to exercise extreme caution, enter chambers at slowest safe speed, and prepare for potential outdrafts,” the note said.
The 103-foot Queen City was owned at the time by C&B Marine, which is part of Carlisle & Bray Enterprises in Covington, Ky. The company did not have specific guidance for contending with high water at the McAlpine Locks and Dam.
The company left it up to the captain and pilot to decide if and how to transit the river during high water periods, according to NTSB officials. Carlisle & Bray Enterprises did not respond to inquiries requesting comment on the NTSB findings. •