NTSB

Heavy weather and an improperly secured cargo of lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) units led to two fires on board the cargo vessel Genius Star XI – causing $3.8 million in damages, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

What happened

​On December 25, 2023, at 0830, while the cargo vessel Genius Star XI was transiting the North Pacific Ocean in heavy weather with a cargo of lithium-ion battery energy storage system units on board, a fire was discovered in a cargo hold. Continue reading “NTSB says lithium-ion batteries caused Genius Star XI fires”

​​​The US National Transportation Safety Board said a single loose wire on the Dali containership caused an electrical blackout that led to the vessel hitting the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which then collapsed, killing six highway workers.

At a public meeting, investigators said the loose wire in the ship’s electrical system caused a breaker to unexpectedly open – beginning a sequence of events that led to two vessel blackouts and a loss of both propulsion and steering near the 2.37-mile-long Key Bridge on March 26, 2024. Investigators found that wire-label banding prevented the wire from being fully inserted into a terminal block spring-clamp gate, causing an inadequate connection. Continue reading “NTSB: loose wire on containership Dali led to Scott Key Bridge collision”

The US National Transportation Safety Board has said a steering control system component failure on a multi-purpose carrier was the cause of a collision with a bulk carrier in the Houston Ship Channel. The multi-purpose carrier BBC Africa lost steering as it was departing the channel on August 25, 2023, and struck the moored bulk carrier Common Faith. No injuries or pollution were reported. Damage to the vessels was estimated at $1.1 million.

​The crew told investigators they did not find any issues with the steering control systems during the pre-departure tests. Continue reading “Component failure cause of BBC Africa collision according to NTSB”

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has said in a report that inoperable battery management systems was the probable cause of a fire on yacht Flagship last year.

What Happened

​On April 28, 2024, at 1031 local time, a fire started on board the uncrewed yacht Flagship while it was docked at an enclosed bay of a shipyard on the Miami River in Miami, Florida. Shoreside firefighters moved the vessel to a nearby sea wall, where they extinguished the fire. The vessel eventually sank at the sea wall. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. The Flagship was declared a total loss, valued at $5 million.

Continue reading “NTSB report says lithium-ion battery bank cause of yacht fire”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has said a catastrophic engine failure led to a fire aboard a towing vessel, Johnny M, on the Tennessee River last year.

An engine-room fire broke out on January 30, 2024, aboard the towing vessel Johnny M, which was pushing four barges on the Tennessee River near Grand Rivers, Kentucky. The six crewmembers aboard were unable to extinguish the fire using the CO2 fixed-fire-extinguishing system and abandoned ship to a Good Samaritan vessel. Continue reading “NTSB report on fire on board towing vessel Johnny M”

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that 30 owners of 68 bridges across 19 states conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine the risk of bridge collapse from a vessel collision after the Key Bridge collapse.

The NTSB found the Key Bridge, which collapsed after being struck by the containership Dali on March 26, 2024, was almost 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges, according to guidance established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or AASHTO. Over the last year, the NTSB identified 68 bridges that were designed before the AASHTO guidance was established — like the Key Bridge — that do not have a current vulnerability assessment. Continue reading “NTSB recommends risk assessments after Key Bridge collapse”