The cargo ship Dali went through an electrical blackout while undergoing maintenance before it hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy in Baltimore in March, the investigators revealed on Tuesday.According to the preliminary investigations, it has been revealed that the day before the accident, a crew member inadvertently closed an exhaust damper, resulting in a power outage. According to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation, this resulted in the cargo ships engine stalling. On March 26, not long after departing the harbor, Dali lost power once more and collided with one of the columns holding the bridge. Following this, the bridge collapsed within seconds.It also added that the senior pilot and apprentice of the ship were not informed about the previous outage. As per the investigation agency, the probe into the accident was launched immediately after the bridge collapse and the investigation could take up to one year. “Our mission is to determine why something happened, how it happened, and to prevent it from recurring,” board chair Jennifer Homendy said at the time, according to CBS Washington.NTSB releases preliminary report on the March 26 contact of the containership Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge and subsequent bridge collapse in Baltimore: https://t.co/qjMPGI9zK4 pic.twitter.com/3byTzQbTWP— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) May 14, 2024National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) which is leading the investigation has also added, “A seven-person road maintenance crew employed by Brawner Builders—which was contracted by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA)—and one inspector employed by Eborn Enterprises, Inc., a sub-consultant to the MDTA, were on the bridge when the vessel struck it. The inspector escaped unharmed, and one of the construction crewmembers survived with serious injuries. The bodies of the six fatally injured construction crew members have been recovered. One of the 23 persons aboard the Dali was injured,” in its report. However, according to the report, in May year, the bridge inspectors rated the deck in satisfactory condition.
