NTSB Details Electrical Failure Chain Behind Dali Key Bridge Allision
United States accident investigators have outlined how a seemingly minor wiring issue on the large container ship Dali evolved into a catastrophic blackout sequence that ended with the collapse of Baltimores Francis Scott Key Bridge. The National Transportation Safety Board NTSB held a public meeting to determine the probable cause, focusing on the vessels electrical configuration and a mislabeled signal wire installed at construction.
According to the NTSB, when Dali was being built incorrect labeling was applied incorrectly on one signal wire in its circuit breaker terminal block. Vibration and movement caused vibrational degradation at that connection point over time leading to intermittent failure that led to blackout as it left Baltimore on 26 March 2024 - leaving steering, bow thruster capability, critical water pumps as well as lighting and control options severely limited onboard, leaving bridge teams and pilots no option but to navigate with limited options in narrow channels.
Crew quickly located and reset the tripped breaker, quickly restoring power within one minute; however, an manually operated fuel supply pump was not restarted in time and consumed all available fuel in less than four ship lengths from Key Bridge despite all efforts made by pilots and crew to avoid it. NTSB investigators linked this sequence of events with earlier construction mistakes but noted that thermal imaging during maintenance might have detected overheated terminal connections sooner.
Investigators also documented multiple earlier power disturbances on Dali while it was still alongside in Baltimore, including an engine stall after an exhaust damper was mistakenly closed during maintenance and subsequent adjustments to the vessels electrical configuration. A previously identified loose cable reproduced a blackout when disconnected during simulation tests, supporting the boards focus on electrical reliability and configuration control. Six road workers died when the bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River, and shipping access to Baltimores cargo terminals was restricted for months before the channel was fully reopened.
Maryland transportation officials at the same meeting revealed that the cost to replace Francis Scott Key Bridge has more than doubled from initial projections due to design upgrades and extended traffic disruption. Synergy Marine Group stated they would closely review the NTSB findings with technical teams, the vessel owner, legal counsel and highlight any wider operational and liability implications for container shipping sector companies.
Port Of Los Angeles Responds To Henry Hudson Fire
On the United States West Coast, port and emergency management agencies have continued to address the consequences of a recent fire aboard the container ship ONE Henry Hudson at the Port of Los Angeles. The blaze broke out below deck on a Friday night while the vessel was alongside, developing into an electrical fire that spread through several cargo levels and triggered an explosion in the mid deck area before being largely contained the following day.
Around one hundred containers were affected by the fire, including many that contained hazardous materials like lithium ion batteries and other regulated waste streams. Although officials have yet to identify which units actually burned, their presence prompted temporary shelter in place orders for nearby communities as well as a half nautical mile safety zone and flight restriction around the vessel in question. Over one hundred firefighters and multiple fireboats worked tirelessly overnight to cool hotspots and limit structural and environmental damage.
All twenty three crew members on the ONE operated vessel were accounted for and no injuries were reported. By the following morning, the ship had been shifted offshore so that responders could continue boundary cooling and damage assessment, while container terminal operations at the port resumed under safety controls. The subsequent port authority updates confirmed that the fire was contained at berth, and later that the vessel would be brought back to a terminal for further inspections and cargo handling under close regulatory oversight.
Ocean Network Express of Singapore announced they were monitoring and supporting response efforts related to this incident, emphasizing their dedication in supporting investigations. The incident has renewed industry scrutiny of risks associated with lithium ion battery shipments as well as emergency preparedness at major transpacific gateways such as Kobe, Nagoya and Tokyo as ONE Henry Hudson visited multiple Japanese ports prior to arriving in Los Angeles due to casualty - showing just how many regional supply chain impacts result when one such vessel is temporarily removed from schedule rotation due to casualties.