NTSB recovers ship’s VDR after Baltimore bridge strike

NTSB recovers ship’s VDR after Baltimore bridge strike

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported Wednesday that it has recovered the voyage data recorder (VDR) from the containership Dali, which a day earlier struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Md., causing the span to collapse. On Tuesday at about 0127, the 984-foot Singapore-flagged ship reportedly lost power while transiting out of Baltimore Harbor en…
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Baltimore bridge collapses after boxship strike

Baltimore bridge collapses after boxship strike

(BALTIMORE) — The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning after a support column was struck by a containership, sending at least seven cars into the Patapsco River, launching a search-and-rescue operation and prompting Gov. Wes Moore to declare a state of emergency, The Baltimore Sun reported. In a Tuesday morning news conference, Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace…
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NTSB safety alert urges use of personal locator devices

NTSB safety alert urges use of personal locator devices

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a safety alert urging vessel owners and operators to provide each crewmember with a personal locator device. These devices improve a mariner’s chance of rescue during an emergency. During an emergency at sea, a mariner’s chance of survival decreases if search and rescue cannot quickly and accurately identify their location.…
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Public hearing slated on fatal Port Newark ship fire

Public hearing slated on fatal Port Newark ship fire

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Coast Guard, in conjunction with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), is scheduled to conduct a formal public hearing Jan. 10-18 to consider evidence related to the fire that occurred aboard the Italian-flagged cargo vessel Grande Costa D’Avorio while docked at Port Newark, N.J. The hearing will be open to the public, as well as…
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Safety alert: Wire rope hazards on shipboard cranes

Safety alert: Wire rope hazards on shipboard cranes

(WASHINGTON) — A recent marine casualty involving a shipboard crane occurred while a 69-ton wind turbine nacelle was being offloaded. While hoisting, a wire rope parted, causing the load to fall eight feet to the deck, significantly damaging the vessel and resulting in a total loss of the cargo. Although no personnel casualties occurred, injury potential was high, as the…
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Coast Guard honors mariners for Golden Ray response

Coast Guard honors mariners for Golden Ray response

(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — The U.S. Coast Guard presented public service awards Monday to maritime partners for their commendable actions during the capsizing of the motor vessel Golden Ray and subsequent response. The public service awards recognized each individual’s actions that resulted in the preservation of life and mitigation of environmental hazards and economic impacts during the Golden Ray capsizing and…
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NTSB details 29 casualties in latest Safer Seas Digest

NTSB details 29 casualties in latest Safer Seas Digest

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released the 10th anniversary edition of Safer Seas Digest, which highlights the most important lessons learned from marine investigations last year. Safer Seas Digest 2022 details the lessons learned from 29 maritime tragedies involving capsizings, contact, collisions, fires, flooding and groundings. Among the investigations included in the report are the sinking…
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NTSB urges fire upgrades for small passenger vessels

NTSB urges fire upgrades for small passenger vessels

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended Tuesday that engine-room fire detection and fixed fire extinguishing systems be installed in small passenger vessels previously exempted from U.S. Coast Guard regulations in Subchapter K. The NTSB issued the recommendations after investigating an engine room fire aboard Spirit of Norfolk during a sightseeing cruise near Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on…
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