BRKG Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has collapsed
- Thread starter parocan
- Start date
Macgyver
Has No Life - Lives on TB
This ship was not dealing with issues of that tight of a spot.
Plus this went to shit within minutes.
Bubble Head
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I could use a bowel thruster occasionally. Clean you right out.
Capt. Eddie
Veteran Member
What's missing is why the loss of the main engine AND the gens. Power loss shouldn't shut down the main. The only thing they have in common is the fuel.
Maybe bad fuel to mains and electrical failure of emergency gen? Maintenance done on emergency gen and valve left closed? Too much load causing e gen to trip offline? Cascading failures?
Without having been there its strictly speculation, but initial loss of main gen and main engine at the same time smells like fuel to me.
Bubble Head
Has No Life - Lives on TB
They only need to clear the channel not the whole bridge to open up. The rest will be on going and ingress and egress to port maybe by escort but the whole span does not need to be removed to open.
bw
Fringe Ranger
That sounds dramatic.
Some of this report doesnt make sense. They departed at 1am and then reported that they had flickering lights an hour after departing? They hit the bridge at 1:28 am.I read everything to ensure this wasn't a repeat - more of the dirty fuel and why they think it might be the case. As Capt Eddie suggested, the situation becomes murkier if it turns out to be dirty fuel. It doesn't mean that it is an attack, but the doors start to open to it. He said that contaminated fuel had to happen BEFORE entering the ship. He also thought that it was unlikely it was dirty fuel. But now, it is looking like it might be. I know nothing about shipping; I'm just going by what other knowledgeable people say, along with relatively stable news sources. First Sky was in the UK, and now this is on Zero Hedge. Pictures and charts left in for clarity.
Investigators Probe 'Dirty Fuel' In Baltimore Container Ship Disaster Amid Mid-Atlantic Supply Chain Crisis | ZeroHedge
ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zerowww.zerohedge.com
Investigators Probe 'Dirty Fuel' In Baltimore Container Ship Disaster Amid Mid-Atlantic Supply Chain Crisis
WEDNESDAY, MAR 27, 2024 - 02:10 PM
Catastrophic supply chain snarls are materializing in the Mid-Atlantic area after a container ship rammed a 1.6-mile-long bridge at the Port of Baltimore, causing the bridge to collapse and paralyzing terminals along the port.
Before we shed more color on the worsening supply chain issues, a new Wall Street Journal report cites people familiar with the investigation into the crash as saying contaminated fuel could've contributed to the container ship "Dali" losing power.
According to a Coast Guard briefing report viewed by the WSJ, Dali's lights began to flicker about an hour after the ship began steaming down the marine channel out of the Baltimore Inner Harbor.
"The vessel went dead, no steering power and no electronics," said an officer aboard the ship.
"One of the engines coughed and then stopped. The smell of burned fuel was everywhere in the engine room, and it was pitch black," the officer said, adding that the vessel didn't have time to drop anchors before hitting the bridge. Minutes before the crash, officers on the ship issued a mayday call to the Coast Guard.
Source: WSJ
Fotis Pagoulatos, a naval architect in Athens, said contaminated fuel could seize up the ship's main power generators and result in a complete blackout and loss of propulsion.
During a press conference, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said an investigation is underway to review the vessel's operations and safety logs and black box recorders to determine what happened in the moments leading up to Baltimore's biggest industrial disaster in several generations.
Hours after the incident, the White House and federal government agencies quickly ruled out a cyber attack or industrial sabotage as the source of the ship's power loss. With an investigation barely underway, it would seem too preliminary to rule out those things. It's not yet illegal to have an open mind.
Despite legacy media outlets won't even entertain the slightest possibility of a cyber attack or industrial sabotage, some X users say they aren't ruling anything out, considering NATO and Russia are on the brink of a major conflict, the Red Sea crisis continues, Hamas-Irasel war rages on, and Sino-US relations have yet to recover fully.
We know that in a matter of seconds, the Dali and its all-Indian crew that rammed the bridge triggered an instant shutdown of the Port of Baltimore that could take weeks, if not months, to restore.
"This is a shut down of a major port, and rebuilding will take a significant amount of time as it is over water," Nada Sanders, a professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern University, told the WSJ in a separate note.
Sanders said, "We will see the effects domestically and globally in terms of shortages and higher prices for the average consumer."
Bloomberg Economic Insights shows that the auto, energy, and food industries will be the most affected. Here's an explanation of the disruption:
According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the Port of Baltimore handled about 3% of all East Coast and Gulf Coast imports in the year through Jan. 31. It's a crucial terminal for European carmakers such as Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Volkswagen AG, and BMW.
- The wreckage from the Francis Scott Key Bridge essentially blocks incoming and outgoing traffic to the Port of Baltimore.
- According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the port ranked 17th in terms of total tonnage handled in 2021. We estimate it intermediates about 2%-3% of US imports.
- By those metrics, the disruption to Port of Baltimore traffic would appear to have minimal impact on the broader US economy. But that most likely understates the full effect.
Source: Bloomberg
It's also the second-largest terminal for US coal exports, with a shutdown likely crimping shipments to India. And many more terminals will be shuttered...
Source: Bloomberg
The 984-foot ship was hauling containers of Chinese-made furniture, appliances, plasticware, and construction machinery.
Source: Bloomberg
Expect a localized shortage of these products?
Source: Bloomberg
US Customs and Border Protection provides a view into Dali's cargo.
Source: Bloomberg
Why didn't the State of Maryland or Baltimore City install protective barriers against ship strikes on the Key Bridge? Were woke Democrats in Annapolis too concerned about DEI and burning the state into the ground with reckless spending than care about infrastructure? Yet another failure by Democrats who are asleep at the wheel.
Source: WSJ 
Source: Bloomberg
Source: Bloomberg
Source: Bloomberg
Source: Bloomberg
Source: Bloomberg"Coughed and stopped" sounds like bad fuel. That would also explain the auxiliary kicking on and then dying as well. Auxiliary is a bit of a misnomer. The ship is required to have at least 2 main generators. Either one must be able to sustain the ship. When one is running the other is in standby ready to come on if the other craps out. There is a third emergency generator that is required to be above the main deck of the ship, out of the engine spaces and run emergency systems. This has its own fuel source and circuit and is for emergency systems only. It will run steering, fire and emergency bilge systems as well as comms and emergency lighting.
The burning fuel smell could be associated with the, what I assume was a, crash astern. You are dumping a ton of fuel into that engine as it goes from forward to reverse in an instant. Like when some kid with a diesel truck "rolls coal".
energy_wave
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Oil expert on Baltimore bridge collapse: FBI must investigate dirty fuel theory
Rt 10:14
vector7
Dot Collector
Why do I feel like no questions are being answered - probably because they’re not- see even I can answer my own question!
RT 3min
View: https://twitter.com/KarluskaP/status/1773048015806152967
Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen: "We take national security very, ummm... uhhh... seriously."
RT 20secs
View: https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1773025744001597630
RT 3min
View: https://twitter.com/KarluskaP/status/1773048015806152967
Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen: "We take national security very, ummm... uhhh... seriously."
RT 20secs
View: https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1773025744001597630
BornFree
Came This Far
I keep hearing things like that. But my eyes don't lie. And that ship did stop after it hit the pier.The ship knocked it down but, it the hull now rests in front of whats left of the pier. Why do we listen to so called experts who tell us to believe the opposite of what we can see right in front of us. And then believe them instead.
THey lost the main engine too? I must have missed that. .
Profit of Doom
Dismember
Bootyjuice should know about that. Sounds like a party.
SmithJ
Veteran Member
So you're saying a tug on standby at that location wouldn't have had time to help?
Profit of Doom
Dismember
BornFree
Came This Far
When I first saw this I instantly thought about our own Capt. Eddie and how he said that the fuel may have been an issue. We heard it here first. Good job Captain!A breaking news headline on Sky.com (UK)is that:
"Investigators Exame Whether Dirty Fuel Led To Bridge Collapse"
That's it; for now, if you click on the ongoing story, this part still needs to be updated. I suspect it will be in a few minutes.
But if this report is accurate, it could be a game changer.
Breaking news headline is on the main page here at:
The Latest News from the UK and Around the World | Sky News
Sky News delivers breaking news, headlines and top stories from business, politics, entertainment and more in the UK and worldwide.news.sky.com
On-going story is here...
Baltimore bridge collapse: Audio of first responder call emerges - 'the whole bridge just fell down'
A mayday call was issued by the cargo ship moments before officials decided to suspend traffic on both sides of the bridge.
If it's found to be contaminated fuel, I wouldn't want to be that distributor.
or anybody who worked there.
or anybody who talked to someone who worked there.
Whatever the NTSB leaves, Lloyd's of London will own.
or anybody who worked there.
or anybody who talked to someone who worked there.
Whatever the NTSB leaves, Lloyd's of London will own.
Shadow
Swift, Silent,...Sleepy
The ship hit at sort of a glancing blow. But, it was enough to move the pier. The bridge and pier system would have some movement designed into it. Full loaded vs lightly loaded, extreme cold vs extreme hot. However, the pier was moved beyond design parameters and the bridge lost it's support.
Shadow
naegling62
Veteran Member
Could dirty fuel be intentional?
Macgyver
Has No Life - Lives on TB
While I did comment the emergency gen has its own 18 hour minimum fuel tank I guess its possible that the emergency gen never started.
And with that thought, the lights going on and off could have been the normal generators going on or off or even breakers tripping and them trying to reset them.
For all we know the propulsion engine was still running. But that's unlikely because they require all types of lube oil and fuel pumps running on electricity to operate.
greysage
On The Level
My former next door neighbors moved to Baltimore a year ago.
Don't feel bad, they deserve it, all.
bw
Fringe Ranger
Slow down son, it's just one of the ideas being bounced around. It was mentioned within hours of the collision. They probably haven't had time to take fuel samples yet.
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Taco Bell
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
how did you find out they are illegals?
STAY ON TOPIC!
Summerthyme
Summerthyme
Repairman-Jack
Veteran Member
She can be "on fire" but it doesn't mean she has a clue.
Until indicated otherwise critical systems on that ship are not internet connected. And per her comments about several people immediately looking at the initial video and saying "it was hacked" is BS, I know many cybersecurity folks, several of them I'd consider expert level and above....none of them out of the box said "hacked" before either some kind of mechanical failure or intentional by party(ies) on board (crashing, sabotage).
Tex88
Veteran Member
Colorectal extraction.
Macgyver
Has No Life - Lives on TB
NTSB Recovers "Black Box" From Ship That Crashed Into Baltimore Bridge - Will Hold Press Conference | The Gateway Pundit | by Anthony Scott
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy has announced the data recorder known as the “black box’ has been recovered from the DALI cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key bridge early Tuesday morning.
www.thegatewaypundit.com
NTSB Recovers "Black Box" From Ship That Crashed Into Baltimore Bridge - Will Hold Press Conference
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy has announced the data recorder known as the “black box’ has been recovered from the DALI cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key bridge early Tuesday morning.While talking to CNN, Homendy revealed NTSB investigators obtained the black box to the DALI and sent it back to NTSB’s lab to be
analyzed.
Homendy shared that investigators in NTSB’s lab will review the black box’s data and will release their findings in a press conference later today.
WATCH:
Per CBC:
The black box is expected to reveal a timeline for the DALI and ultimately lead to what caused the ship to lose its power.
The NTSB is expected to host its press conference late Wednesday afternoon once the data from the black box is finished being evaluated.
Hfcomms
EN66iq
Rule of thumb is to eliminate the plausible first before putting on the tin foil and immediately jumping to the implausible. We see things every day that our 'government' or three letter agencies are doing to the people but sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Accidents happened from time to time before there was such a thing as a deep state and to immediately jump to a conclusion one way or the other isn't wisdom unless its obvious. When it isn't obvious first eliminate the logical explanations before you jump off the reservation.
Intestinal Fortitude
Have Faith
radio said they are "migrants" so to me that makes them "illegals" lol (Guat, Mex et al)
It hit at 2 knots, not 8. Just because it's an important shipping area doesn't mean it *can't* be an accident. How is it a cyber attack? Yeah, it was the middle of the night, but they had just left; why would the crew be asleep already? The track line in post #183 shows that it *was* in the channel at first. Lots of hysterical words, nothing sensible or helpful.
I'm wondering how badly damaged the ship's bow is below the waterline.
View: https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1772980531069899219
View: https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1772980531069899219
Shadow
Swift, Silent,...Sleepy
I do not know how ships electronics work. However, this article from March 2023 has raised my eyebrows.
What Do You Do if a Hacker Takes Control of Your Ship?
What Do You Do if a Hacker Takes Control of Your Ship?
NTNU is training mariners on how to respond to a cyberattack in progress
The ship is not behaving as it should. What's happening? Captain Odd Sveinung Hareide explains to the others on the bridge what he has done, what he is prioritizing right now and the next move. Photo: Eli Anne Tvergrov, NTNU.PUBLISHED MAR 19, 2023 2:50 PM BY GEMINI NEWS
[By Eli Anne Tvergrov]
You’re on the bridge, with the ship’s course shown on the digital display. But why is the ship continuing to turn west?
Everything looks normal on the computer screens in the dark wheelhouse — but outside, the land is dangerously close. What’s going on?
Down in the engine room, workers report via radio that everything is normal, but they wonder why the bridge has changed course. The engines are revving and the ship is picking up speed. The engine room hasn’t done this. What now?
Cybersecurity is a hot topic for the entire maritime industry, as well as in academia. A joint team recently conducted a completely new cyber security course at NTNU in Ålesund.
Probably the first of its kind
NTNU in Ålesund’s programme for the maritime industry has just offered a new course entitled “Maritime digital security” (in Norwegian).Over two months, course participants have looked at digital threats. They have assessed the risk of existing digital threats and realistically practiced a cyber attack on a ship under way. The key focus is on risk management of cyber attacks and building resilience.
“Where information technology and people meet, there is room for digital vulnerability. Security breaches can come in through the ship’s systems and through the port system and through the people who operate or supervise them,” Marie Haugli-Sandvik and Erlend Erstad said.
Both are PhD candidates at the Department of Ocean Operations and Civil Engineering at NTNU. They are studying how the maritime industry can be better equipped to handle cyber attacks.
The two PhD candidates have developed and now run the maritime digital security course, which appears to be the first of its kind in Norway.
The course has been included as part of the doctoral theses they are about to complete.
International requirements
The Norwegian Maritime Directorate and the Norwegian Coastal Administration have a strategic goal that seafarers and personnel be offered essential digital security skills. The starting point is international requirements from the IMO (International Maritime Organization).The international industry associations and shipping organizations therefore focus on this topic. Within the basic requirements for shipping, there will soon be even stricter minimum requirements for cyber security. Stricter requirements for training, practice and training will all come next year.
Developed with the industry
“We developed this course in close collaboration with the industry,” Erstad said. “We have listened to what they want, looked objectively at their needs, and then tested the best solution we can come up with.”“It’s always better to have a broad perspective and different approaches with new projects and methods. Established businesses can also benefit from a fresh look. NTNU is a good place to try out new ideas. As researchers, we can help meet the industry’s urgent needs while at the same time discussing solutions with them for the future,” Haugli-Sandvik said.
Not enough training in cyber security
Haugli-Sandvik conducted a survey this winter among 293 deck officers from 11 major offshore shipowners in Norway.- Eighty-three per cent said that they had taken part in some form of cyber security training.
- Fifteen per cent answered that they had never received training.
- Two per cent didn’t know if they had had training.
Employers to a large extent were responsible for this training, in the form of courses. This demonstrates that the industry wants to take responsibility, Haugli-Sandvik believes. But there are many standardized and general IT security courses.
“But most of the training wasn’t directly operationally oriented and/or adapted to the maritime industry,” Haugli-Sandvik said.
This is illustrated by the fact that 66% of the deck officers surveyed said that they were uncertain or disagreed that they had enough training to handle a cyber incident on board.
Challenges identified by the Norwegian National Security Authority'sRisk Report 2022
The Norwegian Maritime Directorate and the Norwegian Coastal Administration have focused on a number of challenges identified in the Report on strategy for maritime digital security 2020.In its 2022 Risk Report, the Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM) points to a threefold increase in the number of serious incidents and cyber operations from 2019 to 2021. The corresponding report for 2023 addresses the issue that there are many vulnerabilities in unclear supply chains, and that with more unpredictability the industry needs to be better prepared.
The maritime industry has worked with digitalization in both traditional information technology systems (IT systems) and in operational technology in systems for automation, propulsion, management and other control systems. The greater the use of remote connection, integration and digitization in operational technologies, the more vulnerable the operation can be.
At the same time, the lifetime of larger ships is generally between 25 and 35 years, and digital upgrades in the entire international fleet usually happen gradually and over time. There is great variation in computer equipment on board both for administrative functions and control systems.
The situation is much the same as for ports, where more and more operations are being automated. When it comes to port traffic alone, incidents have been uncovered that have result from cyber attacks IT and administrative systems. These lead to business interruptions, information theft and manipulation linked to smuggling.
Major consequences
Digital IT events can have consequences for ship operations. They can affect administrative systems for ship manifests, passenger lists, digital certificates and sailing licenses and the like. This can delay or impede operations.Companies that are exposed to these problems can experience significant financial consequences and damage to their reputation.
The Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM) points out that activity in the cyber world can be so advanced that we don’t actually notice it, and covert activity can remain hidden for a long time. How should crew on board react to discover hidden threats?
How can the crew on board make the right assessments in advance or make concrete decisions in the brief window of time a few minutes before a ship runs aground?
Knowing what to do, both to prevent this from happening, and to practice what to do if it does, is critical for the industry.
Is the ship capsizing? Captain Odd Sveinung Hareide makes contact with the engine room. Photo: Eli Anne Tvergrov, NTNU.
Deck officers and cyber security
Haugli-Sandvik’s doctoral dissertation looks at how deck officers experience cyber risk at sea.“My project is part of the work in one of NTNU’s 12 centres for research-driven innovation. This centre, SFI MOVE (Marine Operations in Virtual Environments), works with how future maritime operations may look through the use of digital twins, machine learning and control centres on land,” she said. “I’m studying how targeted guidelines, training and risk communication can be developed for maritime cyber security. I am also investigating what tools we should develop to handle new cyber risks we may experience at sea.”
Erstad, on the other hand, is looking at cyber resilience at sea.
“I’m looking at the best way that navigators can be resistant to, prepare themselves for, and overcome, cyber attacks against the integrated navigation systems on board the ship,” he said.
Erstad says the researchers have benefitted from working with researchers at the Cyber SHIP lab at the University of Plymouth in England, which also works with maritime cyber security.
To practice realistic actions and situations in a safe environment, NTNU has opened a Cyber Range especially developed for the maritime sector. The Cyber Range enables practitioners and researchers to uncover vulnerabilities in maritime navigation and control systems for ships.
PhD candidate Erlend Erstad and Einar Johan Lukkassen from NTNU evaluate the response from the bridge. Marie Haugli-Sandvik and the other participants and observers, prepare for the exercise to continue. Photo: Eli Anne Tvergrov, NTNU
Simulated event
The larger course exercise relied on ship simulators at NTNU in Ålesund. These simulators are also unique in their design when it comes to realism. The participants took their seats in ship simulators, designed like a bridge on a larger ship underway in the North Sea.“We make the simulator scenario close to what actually happens on a ship, as well as to what happens in the communication between the ship and the land. But even though the scenario uses full-scale maritime bridge simulators, the focus was mostly on getting a good discussion going,” Erstad said.
The exercise also included participants from DNV, marine underwriters the Norwegian Hull Club, NORMA Cyber, Solstad, public institutions such as the Norwegian Coastal Administration and the Inland Norway University of Applied Science, as well as from the University of Plymouth. They were invited in as observers and as resource persons in the simulation.
“We learn the most from the dialogue between the actors in the rehearsal and in the review afterwards, not least because you can then see what was practiced and the event itself from another point of view,” says Erstad.
Strengthening the weak link
Professor Kevin Jones heads the Maritime Cyber Threats Research Group and Cyber SHIP lab at the University of Plymouth. He points out that a cyber attack can pose huge problems for the global economy and trade.“When the large container ship ‘Ever Given’ ran aground in the Suez Canal, the cause was the weather and wind. Although this was not a cyber attack, the incident illustrates the consequences that can affect a vulnerable global system,” Jones said.
Ninety per cent of world trade is predicted to be linked to maritime transport, through maritime supply chains. It’s entirely believable that a similar incident could occur due to digital vulnerabilities, as a result of unauthorized access to computers and control systems.
“The weak link is the human being, and we have to strengthen this link. Humans are the resource on board that can handle such a situation,” Jones said.
Adapt skills development
The exercises and the specific course with the participants, helpers and observers have strengthened the two PhD candidates’ view that it is important to adapt skills development to the precise circumstances at hand.The course offers a clear practical approach to risk management in a digital perspective. This is also included as part of NTNU’s master’s programme in operational maritime management.
“It is important that businesses in the maritime sector familiarize themselves with their values, the digital threats and vulnerabilities they have. Managers need to know their employees will be able to handle the digital threats, and understand the needs they have for skills in working with digital security,” Jones said.
The next course in Maritime Digital Security is planned for autumn this year. The offer will then be tailored to an even greater extent for managers, middle managers, operational (sailing) and administrative personnel in the maritime sector, but will also be very useful for other industries.
Reference: Erstad, E., Hopcraft, R., Vineetha Harish, A. et al. A human-centred design approach for the development and conducting of maritime cyber resilience training. WMU J Marit Affairs (2023).
Cyber safety at sea
The maritime industry must raise awareness of what's at risk by not preventing cyber attacks. Here is some general advice:Checklist at individual level on board:
- Install security updates as soon as they come and automatically as much as possible.
- Do not assign administrator rights to end users.
- Do not allow the use of weak passwords. Introduce, where possible, that users document their identity through multi-stage security and approval procedures (multi-factor authentication).
- Phase out older ICT products.
- Do not allow anything other than software that has been approved by the company or unit supplier.
- Introduce a system for authentication and authorization for users of necessary information.
- Introduce protection of all data at the appropriate level, based on the sensitivity of the information.
- Introduce controlled access for IT users on board and ashore, so that each individual only has access and rights to the information for which they are authorized.
- Introduce controlled communication between ship and shore, with safety in focus.
- Introduce a response plan for cyber incidents based on thorough risk assessments.
Shadow
nomifyle
TB Fanatic
Dali cargo ship suffered 'severe electrical problem' while docked in Baltimore days prior to bridge collapse crash that saw it suffer 'total power failure, loss of engine failure', port worker says
Dali cargo ship suffered 'severe electrical problem' while docked
The Dali cargo ship which smashed into the Key Bridge suffered a 'severe electrical problem' while docked in Baltimore days before, according to a port worker.
- Julie Mitchell, co-administrator of Container Royalty, told CNN the ship was anchored at the port for at least 48 hours prior to the deadly crash
- Mitchell explained that refrigerated boxes tripped breakers on board the ship on several occasions, and mechanics had been trying to fix the issue
- The 1.6-mile Key Bridge partially collapsed after the cargo shipping container vessel crashed into one of its support structures just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday
Published: 15:07 EDT, 27 March 2024 | Updated: 15:29 EDT, 27 March 2024
The Dali cargo ship which smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge suffered a 'severe electrical problem' while docked in Baltimore days before, according to a port worker.
Julie Mitchell, co-administrator of Container Royalty, a company which tracks cargo, told CNN the ship was anchored at the port for at least 48 hours prior to the deadly crash.
'And those two days, they were having serious power outages… they had a severe electrical problem,' Mitchell told the broadcaster. 'It was total power failure, loss of engine power, everything.'
Mitchell explained that refrigerated boxes tripped breakers on board the ship on several occasions, and mechanics had been trying to fix the issue. She said she didn't know whether the problem had been fixed when the ship set off.
The 1.6-mile Key Bridge partially collapsed after the cargo shipping container vessel crashed into one of its support structures just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore said the ship's crew notified officials that it had lost power in the moments before the collision.
Mitchell told CNN that major power problems on board large vessels like the Dali are 'not really that common at all', describing the freak incident as 'very rare'.
'They shouldn't have let the ship leave port until they got it on under control,' she said.
Six workers who were on the bridge, pouring concrete to fix potholes as part of a graveyard shift remain missing and are presumed dead.
It has been widely reported that the Dali suffered a loss in propulsion which caused steering issues in the lead-up to the crash that caused the iconic bridge to collapse like a 'house of cards.'
One officer on the Dali also said that before the crash, the engines 'coughed and then stopped.' There was not enough time before the ship hit the bridge to drop anchors prompting the vessel to drift.
'The vessel went dead, no steering power and no electronics... The smell of burned fuel was everywhere in the engine room and it was pitch black,' the officer said.
When a ship such as the Dali loses power, backup generators kick in but they do not fulfill all of the same functions as the main power, Pagoulatos said.
In 2016, the Dali was involved in an accident in the port of Antwerp.
The Antwerp port authorities said the container ship Dali hit a quay on July 11, 2016, as it tried to exit the North Sea container terminal.
A 2016 inspection of the vessel conducted in Antwerp found it had a structural issue, which was stated as 'hull damage impairing its seaworthiness,' according to data published on Equasis, a public database for the shipping industry.
Inspectors found a problem with the Dali's machinery in June, but a more recent examination did not identify any deficiencies, according to the shipping information system Equasis.
The port authorities said the ship had remained at the dock for repairs for some time after the incident.
'As a general rule, these accidents are investigated and ships are only allowed to leave after experts have determined it is safe for them to do so,' a spokesperson for Antwerp port told Reuters.
Video footage on social media showed the vessel slamming into the bridge in darkness, the headlights of vehicles visible on the span as it crashed into the water and the ship caught fire.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said closure of one of the country's busiest shipping lanes until further notice would have a 'major and protracted impact to supply chains.'
The Port of Baltimore handles more automobile cargo than any other U.S. port - more than 750,000 vehicles in 2022, according to port data.
Now, THAT makes sense! And if true, it's likely the root cause is the same as almost every "accident"... someone got in a hurry (time is money, and time spent in port is costly) and decided it was fixed "good enough".
And if the power glitches had happened at any time once they had cleared the bridge, they would have gotten away with it.
Murphy's Law is still in effect!
Summerthyme
And if the power glitches had happened at any time once they had cleared the bridge, they would have gotten away with it.
Murphy's Law is still in effect!
Summerthyme
Profit of Doom
Dismember
Perhaps by “crew”?
Would this be generator fuel? Does generator always run while ship is moving? If yes, why did bad fuel shut down generator right when it did? Perhaps backup generator was contaminated, primary was killed manually, and switched over to backup which then failed.
Another thought; is there a black box like planes have?
Profit of Doom
Dismember
There may be engines that power their own lube and fuel pumps. Have heard of engines that somehow go into runaway, and the only way to stop them is loosening the fuel filter and break its suction from the fuel tank.
Repairman-Jack
Veteran Member
Yes. I just read an article somewhere that made mention of having recovered the black box.
