Baltimore, MD - Container Ship Strikes Francis Scott Key Bridge - Mass Casualty Situation

[Chimera]

The pilots directing the ship at the time of the disaster were BALTIMORE pilots, as I thought they might be.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/03/26/us/baltimore-bridge-collapse/13b48cb7-4673-549e-83cd-13b7b9256af6?smid=url-share

Thanks for the link.
Yes, you are correct.

Also from the link it appears that the local pilots exit the ship after it leaves the harbor entirely, and go back to the port ?
They can't be blamed if the ship did indeed lose power and drifted, though.

Shocking new footage shows Baltimore bridge collapse from the front

Maryland authorities are using sonar detection devices to search for the crew members.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The ship was not being piloted by its own crew but by local pilots who are used to specifically avoid accidents.
Red emphasis mine.

The irony ....

It still looks like a terrible accident at this time.
Omo.

 

[nerosleuth]

I'm guessing that the underwriters at Lloyd's are having a frantic day today as they're likely to be on the hook for a new bridge, ship damage, salvage costs, and cargo loss.

 

[musicaljoke]

I'm guessing that the underwriters at Lloyd's are having a frantic day today as they're likely to be on the hook for a new bridge, ship damage, salvage costs, and cargo loss.

The cargo looks remarkably intact.

 

[iamshadow21]

Thanks for the link.
Yes, you are correct.

Also from the link it appears that the local pilots exit the ship after it leaves the harbor entirely, and go back to the port ?
They can't be blamed if the ship did indeed lose power and drifted, though.

Shocking new footage shows Baltimore bridge collapse from the front

Maryland authorities are using sonar detection devices to search for the crew members.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The ship was not being piloted by its own crew but by local pilots who are used to specifically avoid accidents.
Red emphasis mine.

The irony ....

It still looks like a terrible accident at this time.
Omo.

Using locals doesn't erase the risk, but does make it far less likely there will be a disaster like this. These people, it is their job to get ships in and out of the harbour safely. Then they do it all again, and again, and again. Nobody knows their waters better. That's why similar systems are in place in most ports in the whole world.

But, like in an air disaster, it doesn't matter how good a pilot you are if the ship you are piloting malfunctions in a catastrophic way. It's not like you can paddle a skyscraper safely to shore. These ships are as steerable as an asteroid without power to the controls. They will go where their momentum and the currents take them.

MOO

 

[Chimera]

It would be odd indeed for fatigue to have played a role. The ship was just starting its journey.

Agreed.
Sounds more like a mechanical failure rather than fatigue (as was suggested in msm ) ?

The security footage that caught the moment of the disaster , looks like it caught sight of the ship running with no lights for a second, then back on again, then off.

Baltimore, MD - Container Ship Strikes Francis Scott Key Bridge - Mass Casualty Situation

www.websleuths.com

Post # 20 and link.

 

[Jsizzle]

This is a tragedy for all involved. So thankful this did not happen at the Bay bridge.

I live right by the Bay Bridge (on the western side). A fried texted me this morning that it was the Bay Bridge. I jolted out of bed and realized he meant Key. I do agree I believe if it were the bay bridge it would be a lot worse. But I’m so incredibly sad not to have the Key in my Baltimore skyline anymore. My dad’s condo looks right at the key bridge. Horrible tragedy for those who were lost. Just sad all around.

 

[musicaljoke]

Agreed.
Sounds more like a mechanical failure rather than fatigue (as was suggested in msm ) ?

The security footage that caught the moment of the disaster , looks like it caught sight of the ship running with no lights for a second, then back on again, then off.

Baltimore, MD - Container Ship Strikes Francis Scott Key Bridge - Mass Casualty Situation

www.websleuths.com

Post # 20 and link.

When the lights come back on, it seems like power is restored, but I suspect it is just that they got the emergency lights going. When the bridge falls down on the deck and strikes the lights on the bow, the ship is back in

 

[vls12345]

Normally harbor pilots are local to the area where the harbor is. Many places require them onboard when a ship is entering or leaving a harbor. When a ship is coming in, a tug or other boat will take a harbor pilot out to meet and board the ship at that time. The reverse happens when a ship is leaving port.

Based on this and my personal experience with port activities:

Maritime pilot - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

"A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who has specific knowledge of an often dangerous or congested waterway, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots know local details such as depth, currents, and hazards. They board and temporarily join the crew to safely guide the ship's passage, so they must also have expertise in handling ships of all types and sizes."

(Saying this because someone asked if it was the same harbor pilot today and in the 2016 incident in the Netherlands. Sorry if it has already been addressed as I am still catching up on the thread.)

 

[imstilla.grandma]

*Thinking of the search and rescue divers in the water. The Chaplain for a ministry to help those stuck at sea was talking about how SAR often spend so much time alone.

March 26, 2024
I am saddened, as you are, to learn of the tragic incident overnight that led to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Baltimore harbor. Pray with me for all involved, especially the victims traveling over the span at the time of impact, the construction crews on site and all of the first responders acting with urgency to rescue survivors. Let us join in prayer asking the Lord to grant consolation and strength as we cope with this terrible tragedy.
Archbishop William E. Lori

https://www.archbalt.org/statement-from-archbishop-lori-on-collapse-of-key-bridge/

 

[aliciaJ87]

Normally harbor pilots are local to the area where the harbor is. Many places require them onboard when a ship is entering or leaving a harbor. When a ship is coming in, a tug or other boat will take a harbor pilot out to meet and board the ship at that time. The reverse happens when a ship is leaving port.

Based on this and my personal experience with port activities:

Maritime pilot - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

"A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who has specific knowledge of an often dangerous or congested waterway, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots know local details such as depth, currents, and hazards. They board and temporarily join the crew to safely guide the ship's passage, so they must also have expertise in handling ships of all types and sizes."

(Saying this because someone asked if it was the same harbor pilot today and in the 2016 incident in the Netherlands. Sorry if it has already been addressed as I am still catching up on the thread.)

That was me who asked about the pilots being the same. I asked because it was being posted about a previous incident and I wasn’t sure how it worked with these ships, if it was always the same pilot or if it changed, and I didn’t want people to speculate that these pilots had a history or something. I can only imagine how they are feeling this morning.

 

[iamshadow21]

When the lights come back on, it seems like power is restored, but I suspect it is just that they got the emergency lights going. When the bridge falls down on the deck and strikes the lights on the bow, the ship is back in darkness.

No news yet on the missing construction workers? God bless their families. This must be pain beyond imagining.

My mum watches a lot of Deadliest Catch, and those fishing boats tend to have a backup power supply. I am not an expert, but I suspect a large ship would have one, too.

The lights cut, after a delay, they come back on, then go out again, then come back again for a moment just before impact. I think something major electrical went wrong, and damaged something critical. There was the smoke, too.

One positive of the ship staying floating, not burning to the waterline, (besides the crew surviving unharmed) is the investigation of what went wrong will be easier. They'll be able to look at the engines and the electrical systems in situ.

MOO

 

[Cindizzi]

[…]
Officials initially said they were concerned that up to 20 people had plunged into the water but appeared to later revise that number.

“To hear the words, ‘the Key Bridge has collapsed,’ it’s shocking, and heartbreaking,” Moore said in a mid-morning news conference.

Eight members of a construction crew repairing potholes were believed to have fallen into the water, two of whom were rescued.

[…]
The Maryland Transportation Authority said that the construction crew was working on repairing potholes. Jesus Campos, an employee of contractor Brawner Builders, had worked the overnight shift of the bridge work before switching to another. He said the missing men are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, and live in Dundalk and Highlandtown. They are in their 30s and 40s, he said, with spouses and children.

All of them came to the city for a better life, he said — not necessarily for themselves, but for the loved ones they left behind in their home countries.

“They are all hard-working, humble men,” he said.

[…]

Key Bridge collapse: Cargo ship sent mayday call before collision; saved lives

A search is underway for six individuals that may be in the Patapsco River, fire officials said.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com

 

[HawthorneJuniper]

So, I was awake & on Twitter/X when it happened. There was a video almost immediately posted by some sort of no name BREAKING NEWS. It looked so AWFUL, the entire bridge came down. But no "legit" news sources posted anything for a while I guess. I searched Google news, youtube.

But I could find ZERO confirmation from mainstream news sources. I was literally absolutely uncertain of whether it was REAL or fake or AI. I had re-tweeted but then thought I should delete as it probably wasn't true. Anyway, just so weird. Everything these days.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

*Three of the workers in the water are from the same family…
They mentioned Honduras and Guatemala as where the families are from

 

[Justice101]

I think that people who work on these floating monoliths are more acutely aware of how precarious their control can be of all that mass than anyone. I can't imagine they wouldn't drill for just this kind of situation, hoping to never need that training in their whole career. I'm glad they did all they could. I'm sorry that it didn't prevent the disaster. But who knows, maybe the anchor was one of the reasons why the ship stopped when the bridge fell across the bow, rather than it ploughing on and it falling across the middle of the ship, where it might have taken more lives. The 'bridge', the place where the people controlling the ship would have been, I believe is that white bit projecting up over the containers stacked on the deck.

Ship sent ‘mayday’ warning before Baltimore bridge disaster as officials scrambled to halt traffic: ‘Saved lots of lives’

Six people still remain missing after multiple vehicles plunged into the chilly waters of the Patapsco River as the bridge crumbled.

nypost.com

MOO

Yes.

Mr. Van Hollen said that the investigation was still in its early stages but added that early indications suggested that because of the closure, no traffic was crossing the bridge during the collapse. He said vehicles used by a road crew fixing potholes had been parked on the bridge and appear to have been plunged into the water.

Live Updates: Major Bridge in Baltimore Collapses After Being Struck by Cargo Ship

The authorities said that two people had been pulled from the water after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday and that a search was underway for “upwards of seven people.”

www.nytimes.com

I think the anchor could have been what caused the boat to veer right at the last moment to strike the support column head on.

 

[Chimera]

I was wondering if they were the vehicles of the workers ?

Also, to add to my post, they'd park fairly close to their work site on the bridge -- in order to get in their cars during a break and maybe eat their lunches, etc. ?
Again, my thoughts go out to their loved ones.
This is looking like a recovery now, due to the water temps and the length that they'd have fallen ?
Omo.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Francis Scott Key Bridge Construction

Explore this photo album by Maryland Transportation Authority on Flickr!

flic.kr

Key Bridge (I-695) | MDTA

//-->

mdta.maryland.gov

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: Fast facts about the Port of Baltimore

The Port of Baltimore is near the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed early Tuesday morning after the container ship Dali struck one of its support columns.

www.foxbusiness.com

 

[lovemyhuskies]

Shocking new footage shows Baltimore bridge collapse from the front

Maryland authorities are using sonar detection devices to search for the crew members.

www.dailymail.co.uk

RIP to the lives lost !
Even for those who can swim, part of the bridge or construction equipment on the bridge/job site could fall on them.
Awful.

REVEALED: Doomed Baltimore cargo ship was piloted by specialist crew

Questions are swirling as to how a cargo ship smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore overnight - with it believed a propulsion error may have been the cause.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The cargo ship that smashed into the Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore overnight was piloted by a specialized crew trained to avoid obstacles at ports, it has emerged.
'The vessel notified MD Department of Transportation (MDOT) that they had lost control of the vessel and an allision with the bridge was possible,' the report said. 'The vessel struck the bridge causing a complete collapse.'
Red emph. mine.
(Question : That didn't sound correct. I think the article meant to say, 'collision' !)

At this time, it looks like the pilots of the vessel were not at fault, and tried to correct the direction the ship was headed in & also sent out the 'Mayday' warning ?

No one wants this on their job record.
From the sound of it, there will be repercussions from this.
Not to mention the emotional toll for the ships' employees that will surely follow.
If their power went out, that's not necessarily their fault.
Omo.

My deepest condolences to the families of the missing !

Sorry if this has already been answered, I'm playing catch up. An allision is when you hit a stationary object, such as a bridge, river bank, etc.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Customers from the East Coast to the Midwest could see costly impact from Baltimore bridge collapse

"The Key Bridge and Port of Baltimore are critical components of our nation’s infrastructure and supply chain,” the American Trucking Association said.

www.nbcnews.com

Footage of the crash also showed the vessel was in the wrong part of the channel as it approached the bridge.

The ship crashed into a pillar toward one side of the bridge instead of crossing under the middle of the bridge, where the clearance is highest.

“If you look at it, it’s off center of where it should be,” Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld told CNN.

“Obviously, it should be in the main channel, which is under that main span.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/26/us/baltimore-bridge-collapse-what-we-know/index.html

 

[iamshadow21]

Sorry if this has already been answered, I'm playing catch up. An allision is when you hit a stationary object, such as a bridge, river bank, etc.

It's everyone's new word of the day! It wasn't one I knew, but then, I'm not a seafarer.