Federal officials investigating the 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore said the deadly incident was "preventable" at a board meeting on Nov. 18.
The Dali - a 984-foot container ship - lost power, propulsion and steering and struck a pier that supported the central span of the bridge on March 26, 2024. The bridge then fell into the Patapsco River, killing six construction workers.
The National Transportation Safety Board said a loose wire led to the power failure during a hearing in Washington, D.C., to address the probable cause of the incident and recommendations to prevent something similar from happening again.
"The fact is, we shouldn’t be here today; this tragedy should’ve never occurred … lives should’ve never been lost," Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board said in her opening remarks. "As with all accidents we investigate, this was preventable."
The board staff said they are recommending operators complete periodic inspections of high voltage switchboards and proposing changes that would allow ships to more quickly recover from loss of power.
