Major Bridge in Baltimore Collapses After Being Struck by Cargo Ship

[Mr.Ratbastard]

Ironically Maryland Gov looks like Todd Bridges.

 

[Levigarrett76]

Who is that

 

[Mr.Ratbastard]

Who is that

What you talking about Willis?

 

[JD Mark]

That port authority pilot just lost a really sweet job. Climb on a boat you don't know to direct them out to sea as you've done hundreds of times before. And as your getting to the tight spot, the vessel goes full black out.

The problem with those big container ships is 1) They actually have small crews. 2) There's probably only a handful of the crew that really knows what their doing. 3) 97% of that crew would have gone full retard panic mode when the ship went dark.

100% chance that boat was years overdue for a major mandatory shipyard. You be surprised how many boats operate that way,

Why would he be at fault?

 

[Levigarrett76]

who you think you tlking to colored boy?

Tawd bridges

 

[Jes]

 

[JD Mark]

Windows are much easier to break from the inside

K...not sure why, it's the same safety glass inside or out.

 

[JD Mark]

Seems like the pilot did what he could under the circumstances.

Also appears that all required inspections were performed.

NEW: MV Dali Lost Propulsion Before Crashing Into Baltimore Bridge; Had Prior Crash in 2016

redstate.com

According to USA Today the crew on the MV Dali lost control of the vessel and reported that to Maryland Department of Transportation officials just before it collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

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“The vessel notified MD Department of Transportation (MDOT) that they had lost control of the vessel” and a collision with the bridge “was possible,” according to an unclassified Department of Homeland Security report. “The vessel struck the bridge causing a complete collapse.”

We're also learning more about what happened in the lead-up to the collision and collapse.

Clay Diamond, executive director of the American Pilots Association, told the New York Times that one harbor pilot and one apprentice were aboard the Dali as it left the Port of Baltimore. Diamond also said that he was told by the Maryland pilots' group that the ship had a "complete blackout" and never regained propulsion power before the crash.

Diamond said the pilot in command of the ship, who had more than 10 years of experience, ordered that the vessel be turned as much as possible to the left and that the port anchor be dropped in an unsuccessful effort to halt or slow the vessel’s drift toward the bridge.

Diamond also spoke to USA Today, saying:

“It’s likely that virtually every pilot in the country has experienced a power loss of some kind (but) it generally is momentary,” Diamond said. “This was a complete blackout of all the power on the ship, so that’s unusual. Of course this happened at the worst possible location.”

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The ship had been cited for issues with propulsion and auxiliary machinery on June 27, 2023, in Chile, as we reported earlier:

According to the report, the deficiency was described in detail as issues with “gauges, thermometers, etc.” but there was no detention resulting from this single detected deficiency. Three months later the ship was subject to a follow-up inspection by the United States Coast Guard in New York but no deficiencies were recorded.

In January 2024 the ship underwent a required follow-up inspection in New York, conducted by the US Coast Guard. Undoubtedly the details of that deficiency and follow-up inspection will be reviewed during the NTSB's investigation of Tuesday morning's crash.

 

[jeepyj]

whoever it was responded slowly with questions

I hope they went for a swim when the boat stopped.

 

[DMG]

K...not sure why, it's the same safety glass inside or out.

Windows are concave from the inside, convex from the outside. Because glass has low tensile strength and high compressive strength, hitting it from the concave side makes it break pretty easily but much stronger from the outside.

**Obviously much older stuff and wranglers with flat glass are equally easy to break from inside and outside. We broke a YJ windshield with a snowball.

 

[JD Mark]

Windows are concave from the inside, convex from the outside. Because glass has low tensile strength and high compressive strength, hitting it from the concave side makes it break pretty easily but much stronger from the outside.

**Obviously much older stuff and wranglers with flat glass are equally easy to break from inside and outside. We broke a YJ windshield with a snowball.

I get that, but I guess in 25 years as a firefighter I never tried to break one from the inside.

And every rookie tries to break one from the outside using a pick head axe or the pointy end of a halligan...and fails.

 

[SanDiegoCJ]

Doesn't it take like a mile or so to stop and 5 miles to turn around?

Something like that. Lots of momentum to counter with an almost 100K ton ship.

 

[rugger]

Why would he be at fault?

Pilots seem a bit like Navy captains in the sense that regardless of the conditions they are rarely excus d if responsibility. Navy skipper can be in a restricted channel and get hit by a fishing vessel and he'll never get another boat or make admiral. There will likely be some fallout from this for the pilot.

 

[Scooter]

Something like that. Lots of momentum to counter with an almost 100K ton ship.

I tried explaining the laws of physics yesterday to someone, about how those ships take a while to speed up, slow down, turn etc. You would have thought I was discussing Carl Sagan's theories on multiple universes and time lines with this fellow.

 

[nahmus]

Seems like they have the ships black box now.

 

[SanDiegoCJ]

I tried explaining the laws of physics yesterday to someone, about how those ships take a while to speed up, slow down, turn etc. You would have thought I was discussing Carl Sagan's theories on multiple universes and time lines with this fellow.

Some people have zero grasp of basic concepts. Try using an analogy of comparing a Miata to a semi truck.

 

[dwygrsshpr]

Not sure if it's been said but it looks like the prop walk caused by full reverse aimed them at bridge support. If they did nothing they likely would have drifted through where they were supposed to. My early morning take that could change after coffee.

That seems to be the working theory, I think it was mentioned earlier but single props also have that lateral force vector that changes direction (180 deg in fact lol) when thrown in reverse. I think I also read that the anchors were deployed (happens automatically with catastrophic power failure?).

I think throwing the engines in reverse was a logical move, but unintended consequences took over. In most cases, action is preferred over inaction, but this seems to be one of the rarest of rare incidents that doing nothing would probably have saved the day.

I'm sure we will get some good analysis once more of the facts roll out.

And hey assholes, take the laminated glass thread into a spin-off. You're fucking up what is a very good tech-thread/after-action discussion.

 

[bgaidan]

That seems to be the working theory, I think it was mentioned earlier but single props also have a lateral vector that changes when thrown in reverse. I think I also read that the anchors were deployed (happens automatically with catastrophic power failure?).

I think throwing the engines in reverse was a logical move, but unintended consequences took over. In most cases, action is preferred over inaction, but this seems to be one of the rarest of rare incidents that doing nothing would probably have saved the day.

I'm sure we will get some good analysis once more of the facts roll out.

And hey assholes, take the laminated glass thread into a spin-off. You're fucking up what is going to be a very good tech-thread/after-action discussion.

I've read the port anchor was dropped, but not when and haven't been able to see the chain in any of the pics I've seen so far.

 

[bad zuki]

I've read the port anchor was dropped, but not when and haven't been able to see the chain in any of the pics I've seen so far.

You can just make out the chain in the above picture. I think they had just watched the Battleship movie and thought they would drift it doing the same technique.

 

[Scooter]

Yeah, port side anchor is deployed.

 

[bgaidan]

You can just make out the chain in the above picture. I think they had just watched the Battleship movie and thought they would drift it doing the same technique.

Good eye. I completely missed it.

 

[Void_of_Light]

That seems to be the working theory, I think it was mentioned earlier but single props also have that lateral force vector that changes direction (180 deg in fact lol) when thrown in reverse. I think I also read that the anchors were deployed (happens automatically with catastrophic power failure?).

I think throwing the engines in reverse was a logical move, but unintended consequences took over. In most cases, action is preferred over inaction, but this seems to be one of the rarest of rare incidents that doing nothing would probably have saved the day.

I'm sure we will get some good analysis once more of the facts roll out.

And hey assholes, take the laminated glass thread into a spin-off. You're fucking up what is a very good tech-thread/after-action discussion.

I would be suprised if dropping anchor automatically is in any plan. It was physically impossible to drop anchor without a person present on the boats I was on.

I imagine what happened was when the power dropped off, whoever was on the bridge moved the rudder and throttle control but since there was no power nothing happened.

When the power came back the engine and rudder responded to whatever setting they were left in. I also don't think either of those things could move that ship in the manner the video shows. I wonder if it did hit the protection bollard and forward momentum rammed it into the bridge.

 

[Landslide]

I tried explaining the laws of physics yesterday to someone, about how those ships take a while to speed up, slow down, turn etc. You would have thought I was discussing Carl Sagan's theories on multiple universes and time lines with this fellow.

Easy enough, have them swing something light like a piece of paper in their hand while making random stops. Then have them do it with a 5 gallon bucket of water. If that doesn’t work, then bitch slap the dumbass and walk away while shaking your head

 

[Landslide]

I would be suprised if dropping anchor automatically is in any plan. It was physically impossible to drop anchor without a person present on the boats I was on.

I imagine what happened was when the power dropped off, whoever was on the bridge moved the rudder and throttle control but since there was no power nothing happened.

When the power came back the engine and rudder responded to whatever setting they were left in. I also don't think either of those things could move that ship in the manner the video shows. I wonder if it did hit the protection bollard and forward momentum rammed it into the bridge.

They should’ve applied the water brakes then.

 

[87manche]

That seems an awful narrow path under the bridge for no tugs. I wonder if SOP will change after this.

well it worked fine for like 50 years.

 

[arse_sidewards]

well it worked fine for like 50 years.

Nonsense, this one incident proves we have to DoSomething(TM).

 

[XtremeJ]

Been more than 25 years since I sailed the Chesapeake, never did much on Baltimore side. How strong are the tidal currents? Combined with the river? Was there any wind of note at that time of day? how restricted is that channel?

If the tidal current was with the direction of travel, and combined with river flow, that would make the rudders, and even prop less effective / need more anticipation. One of the smaller yachts I ran 42' / 28 tons, lost a shaft coupler once, and the shaft and prop backed out the boat leaving a 2" hole 3 feet below water line. As well prepared as we were, in a low traffic channel, but with guests aboard, things still got messy, and could have got a lot worse very quickly. I can easily see how this happened, especially given these large ships travel with a minimum of crew, and the actual "sailing" crew are even smaller, as the deck hands, cooks, and other low paying crew positions are not trained to deal with these sort of emergencies. Two power failures, whether propulsion or electric, in short order likely overwhelmed the crew on the bridge. I would expect the senior personnel to all be present on the bridge while leaving port, likely even both engineers.

 

[665.0coupe]

I tried explaining the laws of physics yesterday to someone, about how those ships take a while to speed up, slow down, turn etc. You would have thought I was discussing Carl Sagan's theories on multiple universes and time lines with this fellow.

A guy I know posted on m FB that he thinks it’s all a conspiracy and was a deliberate attack because “how did they know to be filming that spot at that exact time”

 

[JD Mark]

Maybe I missed it, but isn't there a "speed limit" in an area like this?

Seems like 7-8 knots is pretty fast for this congested of an area. Or is that minimum for steerage?

 

[bigun]

A guy I know posted on m FB that he thinks it’s all a conspiracy and was a deliberate attack because “how did they know to be filming that spot at that exact time”

A bunch of harbors have cameras to watch ships go by, just like trains. You can find them on youtube