Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapses After Being Hit By Cargo Ship

[KurtM]

In two minutes??? Even if you cranked it hard over and ramped the engines all the way up you might have turned the ship a bit less than 1/16 of a degree! By the way Black boxes record when the power is on, not off. We know it lost power, at least twice, and we also know that when power is restored it takes a few moments for all your computers AND sensors to reboot. Two minutes for anything to happen on large shipping, is akin to less than a nano second on small stuff

 

[OKRuss]

The audio was still recorded just not the Voyage Data Recorder.

Thirty minutes later, at 1.07am, the vessel entered Fort McHenry Channel.

Numerous alarms were recorded on the ship’s bridge audio at 1.24am. Around the same time, the voyage data recorder (VDR) stopped recording the vessel’s system data, but was able to continue taping audio from an alternative power source.

Two minutes later at 1.26am, the VDR resumed recording the Dali’s system data and captured steering commands and orders about its rudder.

That same minute, the pilot issued a very high frequency radio call to nearby tugboats requesting assistance for the stricken vessel. Data from the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) showed that the pilot association dispatcher called the MDTA duty officer about a blackout.


At 1.27am, the pilot ordered the Dali to drop the port anchor, along with other steering commands. The pilot also issued another high frequency radio call, reporting that the ship had lost all power and was approaching the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

A transit authority duty officer alerted two units — one on each side of the bridge — who were already on scene and ordered them to stop traffic, shutting down all lanes.

 

[OKRuss]

In two minutes??? Even if you cranked it hard over and ramped the engines all the way up you might have turned the ship a bit less than 1/16 of a degree! By the way Black boxes record when the power is on, not off. We know it lost power, at least twice, and we also know that when power is restored it takes a few moments for all your computers AND sensors to reboot. Two minutes for anything to happen on large shipping, is akin to less than a nano second on small stuff

You've GOT TO STOP bringing logic to this conversation or we'll never get to 10 pages of replies!

 

[KurtM]

Oh I'll help! Dropping the anchor would have done next to nothing to slow this "little skiff" at just 2 knots, dropping the anchor would probably stop that boat.... assuming no current, in a little less that 4 miles on a muddy channel bottom. Looked to me it was going about 3 knots. A harbor tug at full power wouldn't have been able to deflect that ship in that current for at least 5-8 minutes, and it would have just been part of the wreck if it had tried! I can also tell you that the pilot knew all of this and was just praying for a miracle.... which wasn't coming.

To put this in terms you guys might relate to. Dropping the anchor would be like you trying to stop your Bass boat by sticking just one bare big toe in the water when it's going 10 mph. You might get it stopped, but it's going to take a beer or two! Trying to deflect the ship with a tug, would be like turning your Bass boat with a soup spoon

 

[donner]

From most of these comments it becomes very apparent that the average person posting has no idea about how large ships operate and maneuver/steer. I work on a large ship, a bit bigger than this cargo vessel, and I can say what I see is purely accident. Some of the ideas and thoughts about how this could have been avoided, and about how it could have just turned away are very comical.

I'm no expert, but this person does seem to have a reasonable explanation of how an accident could also account for what was witnessed in the footage.

 

[KOPBET]

I'm no expert, but this person does seem to have a reasonable explanation of how an accident could also account for what was witnessed in the footage.

Assuming it WAS an accident.

 

[Rooster1971]

Biden will use bridge rebuild $ grab to pay his corruption obligations and let contractor change orders and OSHA fines and Maritime reg cost as complete a bridge at a future date to be decided
Never waste a perfectly good disaster
With a Ukranian boat pilot

Don’t bogart that joint…

 

[CHenry]

They have not concluded the investigation.
That will take months, if not a year or more.

Certainly, at some point each person will always have to decide how much they are willing to believe. But there is still a big difference in where the information you base your opinion on comes from. You can distrust government and news all you want. But if they are looking at ships logs, river currents, maintenance histories, mayday calls, etc, then they have more information than a person viewing a static camera on the internet from thousands of miles away.

That isn't to say that the person viewing the camera is entirely wrong, but to give that opinion the same weight as all the other information is foolish. If for no other reason than we don't know what kind of maneuvers the crew was trying, how they were positioning the boat before the systems failed, if it was an entire system failure or were some systems partially working, what the river conditions were, etc.

Lots of variables that are simply not knowable from a camera view of what happened.

And while i don't know who the officials are at least one thing i heard said they were recovering the 'black box' equivalent of those found on airplanes for NTSB analysis. At some point they probably will be at a spot where they've have learned all they can in the hours following the incident. Everything else will take more extensive investigation.

I'm not up on all the latest information, so i have yet to see anything that shows they've concluded their investigation. Lots of things talk about early indications, but nothing definitive. If you have a source you feel is accurate about it, i'd appreciate seeing it so i can better understand your position.

A lack of information (especially when discounting information because you don't trust the government and the news) is not an indication that they are intentionally misleading the public.

 

[donner]

They have not concluded the investigation.
That will take months, if not a year or more.

That makes far more sense than it being concluded so quickly.

 

[CHenry]

That makes far more sense than it being concluded so quickly.

The NTSB said this today. They have speculation based on nothing as of now.
Pretty much like OSA lol