(WASHINGTON) — On March 16, 2024, about 0008 local time, the towing vessel Chad Pregracke was transiting southbound on the Lower Mississippi River pushing 34 loaded barges near mile 260.6, about 5 miles east of New Roads, La. The barge PTC 706 at the head of the tow rapidly sank, causing the tow to break apart.
Five barges in the tow were damaged. Damage was estimated at $2 million. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the barge sinking and subsequent breakup of the tow was PTC 706 being down by the bow due to an undetermined reason and subsequently being driven underwater by the forward momentum of the tow.
“Before the PTC 706 sank, the Chad Pregracke pilot saw its stern sticking up, with the bow of the barge submerged. Barges at the head of a tow can be shoved under water. This can occur on barges with low freeboard due to the effect of river current on the tow or a tow pushing too fast,” the NTSB said in its incident report. “However, in this case, the PTC 706 (center barge) had more freeboard than the adjacent barges, but the adjacent barges were not submerged. Therefore, it is more likely that the PTC 706’s freeboard was reduced by weight forward in the barge. This weight forward could have been caused by water in the rake void, forward wing tanks, or forward in the open hopper/hold (possibly from rainwater accumulation or spray over the bow of its uncovered cargo hopper). When the bow of the barge submerged, the force of the tow’s forward momentum would have driven the barge further underwater.”
Click here to read the complete report.
– National Transportation Safety Board
