The cargo ship Dali experienced two electrical blackouts, the first occurring due to the closing of an exhaust damper that caused a diesel engine to stall, and the second shortly before it crashed into the Francis Key Bridge in Baltimore, resulting in the deaths of six construction workers. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are working on a full investigation that could take more than a year to complete. Despite testing of the ship’s fuel, no concerns about its quality were found.
The Dali was on its way to Sri Lanka with shipping containers and supplies for a month-long voyage when the initial blackout due to the exhaust damper closure occurred. The backup generator was activated but shut down again due to insufficient fuel pressure, leading to a second blackout. Crew members then switched the ship’s electrical configuration before departure. Investigators are still examining the connection between the earlier power issues and the blackout that caused the bridge collapse. The safety board is determined to identify the cause and prevent such events from happening again.
The investigation began immediately after the bridge collapse, with investigators boarding the ship to collect evidence from the engine room and the vessel’s data recorder. Interviews with the captain and crew members also took place. The chaotic moments before the disaster involved a series of electrical failures that culminated as the ship approached the bridge. Tugboats were initially called to guide the vessel, but they left as part of normal practice. The crew attempted to restore power, but it was too late to avoid the collision.
At 1:29 a.m. on March 26, the bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River as the ship struck it, resulting in the deaths of the construction workers. One crew member survived by freeing himself from his work truck, and a road maintenance inspector escaped just before the bridge fell. A controlled demolition was conducted to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed bridge, allowing for the ship’s removal. Despite arriving in the US from Singapore a week before the crash, investigators are not aware of any power outages occurring in its previous ports of Newark, New Jersey, and Norfolk, Virginia.
The preliminary report from the NTSB offers only a glimpse of the findings that will be included in the final report, which is expected to be released in over a year. The FBI has also initiated a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse. The safety board is collaborating with Hyundai, the ship’s electrical system manufacturer, to determine the cause of the breaker failures that led to the blackouts and subsequent tragedy. The goal is to find answers and prevent similar incidents in the future to ensure the safety of cargo ships and prevent accidents like the one that occurred with the Dali.
