Doomed Dali ship’s audio black box reveals multiple alarms were blaring in moments leading up to collision with Key Bridge and that pilot frantically requested tug boat help and for anchor to be dropped
Multiple alarms sounded aboard the doomed Dali freighter in the minutes before it crashed into Baltimore’s Key Bridge, new black box audio data shows.
The NTSB said it received six hours of audio of the ship’s voyage data, spanning from midnight to 6 a.m. The ship hit just before 1:30 am.
Marcel Muise, the NTSB’s lead investigator on the case, said Wednesday that the alarm began sounding on the ship at 1:24 a.m.
At 1:26 a.m., the ship’s pilot requested urgent assistance from nearby tugboats, and at 1:27 a.m. he ordered the ship’s anchor to be dropped.
The exact cause of the catastrophe that killed at least six people is still under investigation. There is speculation that there is a mechanical fault as footage also showed the ship’s lights turning on and off several times in recent moments.
Multiple alarms sounded aboard the doomed Dali freighter in the minutes before it collided with Baltimore’s Key Bridge (photo the morning after Tuesday’s impact)
NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy addresses a press conference on Wednesday, together with lead investigator Marcel Muise (left)
The new data was revealed Wednesday during a news conference, where NTSB Chief Jennifer Homendy confirmed that all 23 crew members — including two temporary pilots who were meant to steer the ship safely out of port alone — were safe.
There were more than 4,600 cargo units on board the ship, 56 of which contained hazardous substances. Homendy said some of the dangerous cargo was damaged, but did not indicate it posed a threat to public safety.
After Muise provided details about the alarms that went off just before the collision, Honendy said the data falls short of what investigators would expect if they were investigating a similar catastrophe involving an aircraft.
She said the NTSB has long sought more detailed data from ships’ voyage data recorders, and they are instead equipped with equipment that can record only basic data.
Although the Dali ship was a newer model than others, the NTSB chairman said it is still “very basic” compared to what investigators would expect from an aircraft black box.
This means that while the Dali data includes ship location and rudder commands in addition to audio, it does not capture important details such as power distribution data.
Homendy concluded that the cargo ship was left in a state of “total destruction” and has “structural damage throughout” as it remains anchored in place on the Patapsco River.
The ship, a 1,000-foot DALI operated by Singapore company Synergy Group, collided with the 1.7-mile bridge shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore on Monday.
Crews rescued two men from collapse, while six other construction crew workers are presumed dead or their remains have been found
Rescue personnel gather on the banks of the Patapsco River on Tuesday
The ship has remained in place as dive crews continue to conduct search missions for victims. Six construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time of the collapse are now presumed dead.
Officials admitted their efforts have focused on a body search mission, with two of the six workers found Thursday morning.
The two men, identified as 35-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Fuentez of Baltimore, and 26-year-old Darlene Rania El Castillo Cabrera of Dundalk, were brought to shore Wednesday morning, police confirmed. The families of both men have been notified.
“The crews made a tragic discovery of a red pickup truck near the bridge shortly before 10 a.m. ET,” Ronald L Butler of the Maryland State Police said during a briefing Wednesday evening.
“Divers recovered two victims trapped in the vehicle,” he told reporters.
“My heart, and the heart of the entire city of Baltimore, is with you and will forever be with you,” Mayor Brandon Scott said of the victim’s families.
Two other victims who have been identified are Maynor Suazo, 37, a native of Honduras, and Miguel Luna, 49.
The first of the six victims identified was Miguel Luna, 49, and officials say he and the five other missing men are presumed dead
Maynor Suazo, 37, from Honduras, has been named as another victim
The bridge spans 9,000 feet over the Patapsco River and is 180 feet above the water
While the investigation into the cause of the wreck continues, much attention has been focused on possible mechanical faults in the ship.
Officials quickly ruled out the catastrophe as intentional or an act of terrorism, and an early report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) found that the container ship “lost propulsion” as it left port.
“The vessel notified the MD Department of Transportation (MDOT) that it had lost control of the vessel and that a collision with the bridge was possible,” the report said. ‘The ship hit the bridge and collapsed completely.’
Observers quickly noted that the ship’s exterior lights went out twice just before impact, indicating that the ship may have suffered a mechanical failure.
Homendy was questioned about this possibility Wednesday morning as she also dismissed reports that officials were investigating contaminated fuel as the culprit.
“We’ve heard the reports, but that’s way too early for us, we have a lot of information that we’re gathering,” she said.