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

[Herat]

There was a report last night that Virginia and New York would be taking up the load until Baltimore was open for ships again. So I imagine you're correct and that Norfolk will probably be one of those seeing increased traffic in the weeks and months to come.

MOO

The rail lines are all set up in Baltimore for the coal and freight.

The port of Norfolk is smaller, and more narrow. A lot of tug work and juggling to get the additional load from Baltimore in there.

I can see the rail lines and such. Interestingly, one of their railway bridges across the Elizabeth River has some pretty stout fenders on it. This channel is much smaller than the one spanned by Francis Scott Key Bridge.

You can see the fenders marked on the navigational chart:

Bridge map of the Waterway Guide centered on 36.83924000012155, -76.27337723267271 | Zoom Level: 16.444698971081163

Waterway Explorer bridge map of the Waterway Guide | 36.83924000012155, -76.27337723267271 | Zoom Level: 16.444698971081163

www.waterwayguide.com

[URLunfurl="true"]Norfolk · Virginia

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said that agency investigators had boarded the ship overnight and had begun to interview the crew and collect data. She told CNN that the agency hoped to release more information gleaned from the ship’s data recorders later Wednesday.

• Ships belonging to Grace Ocean Private Ltd., the owner of the Dali, have been cited in recent years for labor violations.
• The National Transportation Safety Board said its investigation would look into the structure of the bridge, including what protective structures existed around its pylons. The secretary of transportation, Pete Buttigieg, called the disaster a “unique circumstance,” saying he doubted that any bridge could have withstood a direct impact of such magnitude

Live Updates: Baltimore Bridge Rescue Efforts Shift to Recovery of 6 Missing Workers

The collapse of the span, triggered when a cargo ship struck a support structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, has upended operations at one of the nation’s busiest ports.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Herat]

from page 46 of a 1980 NTSB (Natl Trans Safety Board) PROBABLE CAUSE report of a bridge collapse:
"Contributing to the loss of life and to the extensive damage was the lack of a structural pier protection system which could have absorbed some of the impact force or redirected the vessel. Contributing to the loss of life was the lack of a motorist warning system which could have warned the highway vehicle drivers of the danger ahead."
And under RECOMMENDATIONSs: In cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, conduct a study to determine which existing bridges over the navigable waterways of U. S. ports and harbors are not equipped with adequate structural pier protection. (Class II, Priority Action)(M-81-16)Distribute a copy of the results of the Coast Guard's studies regarding bridge and pier protection systems to each appropriate member of the American Association of State Highway and to the Federal Highway Administration
...Hmmm, Well at least the early warning system was implemented.
Here is the link to the report just in case any of you have a thing for reading NTSB reports & recommendations.

https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAR8103.pdf

As I read, the Francis Scott Key Bridge had just opened in 1979. Did it get exempted from this NTSB Recommendation?

This should have gone to the US Coast Guard, the AASH, and the Federal Highway Association as per this bulletin.

 

[nerosleuth]

Here's a dashcam video that shows what the Francis Scott Key Bridge looks like while driving across this bridge. The dashcam video was filmed in January 2021.

This may be the best dashcam video of the former Francis Scott Key bridge.

Francis Key Scott Bridge Eastbound I-695 Baltimore, Maryland Infrastructure Drive

 

[Elley Mae]

At this link there’s an image of the ship 2016 showing it when it hit a quay in belgium.

Baltimore bridge collapse: Ship loses power then starts smoking - what CCTV and marine tracking tells us about what happened

Sky News's Data & Forensics unit looks at what happened in the minutes before the container ship hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore

news.sky.com

 

[IQuestion]

As I read, the Francis Scott Key Bridge had just opened in 1979. Did it get exempted from this NTSB Recommendation?

This should have gone to the US Coast Guard, the AASH, and the Federal Highway Association as per this bulletin.

EXCELLENT OBSERVATION! However, I bet the same recommendation has been given/reiterated many times over the last 40 years. Alas, a recommendation is only a recommendation and not a mandate or enforceable. Since it has been mentioned several times wtte: No bridge could survive allision with such a large shipping vessel...
is the answer to have each ship pulled by tug boats into docks and out of waterways until they clear all bridges???

 

[Eli9]

EXCELLENT OBSERVATION! However, I bet the same recommendation has been given/reiterated many times over the last 40 years. Alas, a recommendation is only a recommendation and not a mandate or enforceable. Since it has been mentioned several times wtte: No bridge could survive allision with such a large shipping vessel...
is the answer to have each ship pulled by tug boats into docks and out of waterways until they clear all bridges???

BBM My husband said the same exact thing last night!

 

[Herat]

There was also the large clouds of black smoke that came out of something towards the back of the ship. Something was obviously malfunctioning, possible a small fire, too.

ETA: I hope the "supply chain issues" don't result in price hikes and other mercenary activities.

I see there are now concerns that "contaminated fuel" might have fouled the onboard generators, hence the black smoke.

Here's a dashcam video that shows what the Francis Scott Key Bridge looks like while driving across this bridge. The dashcam video was filmed in January 2021.

This may be the best dashcam video of the former Francis Scott Key bridge.

Francis Key Scott Bridge Eastbound I-695 Baltimore, Maryland Infrastructure Drive

That is very interesting, and sadly, very chilling. You can see the transition on the superstructure from the fixed ramp to the arched trusses over the channel.

It's just amazing to look at all those heavy boxed trusses and think of them peeling off like a coil of orange skin so quickly.

Such a huge amount of force and kinetic energy.

 

[Warwick1991]

As I read, the Francis Scott Key Bridge had just opened in 1979. Did it get exempted from this NTSB Recommendation?

This should have gone to the US Coast Guard, the AASH, and the Federal Highway Association as per this bulletin.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in March 1977, and was designed and completed before this recommendation. https://mdta.maryland.gov/Toll_Facilities/FSK.html

 

[Herat]

EXCELLENT OBSERVATION! However, I bet the same recommendation has been given/reiterated many times over the last 40 years. Alas, a recommendation is only a recommendation and not a mandate or enforceable. Since it has been mentioned several times wtte: No bridge could survive allision with such a large shipping vessel...
is the answer to have each ship pulled by tug boats into docks and out of waterways until they clear all bridges???

They did have 2 tugs, I read. Depending on the current and tides, perhaps that was not sufficient for that particular situation, considering the vessel was having propulsion problems.

I agree with you - No bridge could survive allision with such a large shipping vessel at that loaded weight.

In the nightime video, it seems as though the vessel never really quite lines up on the channel buoys before it starts "skidding" to port and then rapidly swings onto the pier it crushes. The angle on that video is not straight on but seems that the ship is not in the channel for some ways out.

 

[Herat]

The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in March 1977, and was designed and completed before this recommendation. https://mdta.maryland.gov/Toll_Facilities/FSK.html

So the holes in the Swiss cheese line up. The approved and budgeted designs were done before the NTSB recommendations were posted.

But that was 47 years ago. So none of the subsequent bridge inspections ever noted the discrepancy between the design and the NTSB guidelines? How does THAT happen.

Honestly, how difficult would it be to add some dense fenders along there. Sure, it's an expense, but look what this is going to cost for the replacement.

 

[iamshadow21]

They did have 2 tugs, I read. Depending on the current and tides, perhaps that was not sufficient for that particular situation, considering the vessel was having propulsion problems.

I agree with you - No bridge could survive allision with such a large shipping vessel at that loaded weight.

In the nightime video, it seems as though the vessel never really quite lines up on the channel buoys before it starts "skidding" to port and then rapidly swings onto the pier it crushes. The angle on that video is not straight on but seems that the ship is not in the channel for some ways out.

The tugs had finished their job were on their way back to port when the ship lost power. They were not attached to the ship at the time. They made a quick 180 when the distress call was made, and were some of the first responders on scene after impact.

MOO

 

[IQuestion]

The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in March 1977, and was designed and completed before this recommendation. https://mdta.maryland.gov/Toll_Facilities/FSK.html

Hiya WARWICK1991 (big friendly wave!)...always love your expertise.

 

[iamshadow21]

Excellent interview with a captain about the training and specialised nature of the job of pilot.

I’ve captained ships into tight ports like Baltimore, and this is how captains like me work with harbor pilots to avoid deadly collisions

Two ship pilots were on board the large cargo vessel that hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. A veteran ship captain describes the role these pilots play in close-quarter maneuvering.

theconversation.com

 

[anneoakley63]

According to this link, a truck has been recovered.
Search and rescue efforts suspended for 6 construction workers following Baltimore bridge collapse

 

[Herat]

The tugs had finished their job were on their way back to port when the ship lost power. They were not attached to the ship at the time. They made a quick 180 when the distress call was made, and were some of the first responders on scene after impact.

MOO

Is there a reason the tugs do not accompany the ship through the channel to assure it is free of the bridge piers?

 

[kwash]

Those are the channel markers for navigation and have no capacity to physically protect the pilings.

They are not dolphins

The round concrete things are in fact dolphins. I boat on this water and they are marked on charts (including NOAA) as dolphins not channel markers. They may have been inadequate, but they were intended to help protect the bridge.

 

[iamshadow21]

Is there a reason the tugs do not accompany the ship through the channel to assure it is free of the bridge piers?

You'd have to ask the Port Authority, but I suspect that with the pilots onboard to help the crew reach open ocean, there isn't the need.

MOO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The Associated Press reports that a truck was recovered around 10:30 a.m. That's according to a Homeland Security memo that was described to The Associated Press by a law enforcement official. AP says the official was not authorized to discuss details of the document or the investigation and spoke to them on the condition of anonymity.

"The dive team is in the water right now, as we speak," he said. "These are difficult conditions. We're talking about very frigid temperatures with high winds, and extraordinary darkness and trying to navigate mangled metal."

Baltimore bridge collapse: 2 victims recovered, 4 others still missing

Maryland officials say the bodies of two victims have been recovered following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge Tuesday. Four others known to have fallen into the river are still missing.

www.fox5dc.com

A truck was recovered from the water around noon Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has called for "a full and thorough investigation" of the collapse of the Francis Key Scott Bridge.

“What led up to this? What made the ship lose power? What made them lose the ability to be ability to steer the ship? Do we have the right infrastructure that’s in place to be able to protect the people of our state,” he said. “So I think there needs to be a full reckoning, a full accountability, and I think we need to go wherever the investigation takes us to make sure that the people of our jurisdictions are safe."

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse live updates: Truck recovered from water at Baltimore crash scene

Follow The Post’s live updates for the latest news out of the Baltimore bridge collapse.

nypost.com