The catastrophic collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge was triggered by a single loose wire, according to a new report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB report released Tuesday pinpoints a loose signal wire as the culprit behind a total power failure on the cargo ship Dali, which left the vessel without propulsion or steering just moments before it struck a support pier on March 26, 2024, Fox News reports. Investigators said the wire, one of thousands on the ship, was misinstalled because a label slid too close to the end, preventing it from being fully inserted into a terminal, reports the AP.
Investigators faulted the Maryland Transportation Authority for failing to assess the bridge's vulnerability to ship strikes, despite prior safety recommendations. The NTSB concluded the Dali's crew responded quickly to the blackout, but the ship was too close to the bridge to avert disaster. "The crew's actions were as timely as they could be, and they were appropriate and also impressive considering the circumstance," said board member Michael Graham.
The report also criticized the ship's operator, Synergy Marine Group, for inadequate oversight, including allowing improper use of a flushing pump and operating critical electrical systems in manual rather than automatic mode. The board also found that communications failures meant that an overnight road crew on the bridge didn't get timely warnings. Six of them fell to their deaths. The report came a day after Maryland officials estimated that the cost of rebuilding the bridge will be up to $5.2 billion, more than double the original projection, with completion delayed until 2030, two years later than planned.
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