NTSB – Professional Mariner

11 Aug

MSC, chief engineer guilty in runaway boxship incident

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsNTSB, Ports, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — MSC Shipmanagement Ltd. (MSC) pleaded guilty Monday and the company’s chief engineer was sentenced to pay a fine following a June 2024 incident when the containership MSC Michigan VII caused the evacuation of a bridge in Charleston, S.C., and created a large wake that injured two people, damaged ships and piers, and led to the clearing of local…

06 Aug

NTSB cites cellphone use by Houston pilot before fatal collision

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday that distraction and failure to maintain a proper lookout caused a 2024 fatal collision between a bulk carrier and towing vessel near Lynchburg, Texas. The bulk carrier Yangze 7 and the towing vessel Miss Peggy collided on July 19, 2024, while both were inbound in the Houston Ship Channel. Miss…

31 Jul

Unapproved hot work led to fatal explosion on NYC sludge vessel

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB

(WASHINGTON) — On May 24, 2025, about 1020 local time, the sludge vessel Hunts Point was moored at the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant on the Hudson River in New York City when an explosion occurred aboard the vessel. One crewmember was killed and three crewmembers sustained minor injuries. No pollution was reported. Vessel damage was estimated to exceed $10…

30 Jul

NTSB cites unknown electrical source in Texas towboat fire

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, UncategorizedNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On April 22, 2025, about 1750 local time, the towing vessel William D was pushing two barges near mile 20 of the Victoria Barge Canal, about 15 miles from Port Lavaca, Texas, with six crewmembers on board, when a fire broke out in the towboat’s accommodation spaces. Crewmembers attempted but were unable to extinguish the fire. All crewmembers…

21 Jul

Usual suspects: High water, fast current in Vicksburg bridge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On May 5, 2025, at 0957 local time, the towing vessel Myra Eckstein, with a crew of 10 on board, was pushing 25 barges downbound on the Lower Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Miss., when the lead barge on the starboard side contacted a fixed pier of the Vicksburg Highway 80 Bridge at mile 435.8. As a result of…

12 Jun

NTSB: Crane operator didn’t verify clearance before boom accident

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Ports

(WASHINGTON) — On June 2, 2024, about 1649 local time, the emissions control barge STAX 1 was capturing emissions from the containership Erving at the Fenix Marine Services Container Terminal in the Port of Los Angeles. A ship-to-shore container crane struck the barge’s capture-and-control articulated arm, causing it to collapse. Sections of it fell onto the barge, onto Erving, and…

10 Jun

Bridge tender’s miscalculation cited in Louisiana barge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On June 6, 2024, about 0512 local time, the towing vessel Josset was transiting the Morgan City-Port Allen Route of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, about 2.7 miles from Crescent, La., pushing three barges, when the lead barge struck the Bayou Grosse Tete Bridge. There were no injuries and no pollution was reported. Damage to the bridge was estimated…

01 Jun

Loss of steering, valve misalignment cited in Vicksburg bridge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On May 1, 2025, about 1454, the towing vessel Rickey Hughes was pushing 22 barges downbound on the Lower Mississippi River at mile 435.8 near Vicksburg, Miss., when the two lead barges on the starboard side of the tow contacted a fixed pier of the Vicksburg Highway 80 Bridge. As a result of the contact, seven barges broke…

15 May

Mate tells NTSB autopilot ‘tripped’ before tow hit Virginia bridge

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On June 15, 2024, about 1626 local time, the towing vessel Mackenzie Rose was pushing the loaded deck barge Weeks 281 while transiting the southern branch of the Elizabeth River in Chesapeake, Va., when the barge’s raked bow struck the Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad bridge. There were no injuries and no pollution was reported. The railroad…

13 May

Unexpected current led to Galveston barge breakaway, oil spill

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On May 15, 2024, about 0947 local time, the towing vessel LCPL Phillip C George was departing the Texas International Terminal in Galveston, Texas, pushing two loaded tank barges, when the port quarter of the towboat struck a terminal dolphin. One of the barges, MMLP 321, separated from the tow and struck a power transmission pole and the…