Single faulty wire led cargo ship to crash into Baltimore bridge: Report

According to a months-long investigation by the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a 300-metre (984ft) container ship called the Dali was the cause of the fatal collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last year.

The Dali went into a two-blackouts on March 26, 2024, which caused the container ship to crash into the bridge and kill six highway workers, according to the NTSB in a statement on Tuesday.

A livestream video of the accident that went viral last year caused a global media stir when the bridge collapse. Instead of filming the abrupt collapse of a significant section of the bridge, it was captured by a camera mounted to monitor traffic through the Port of Baltimore.

Finding the cause of the accident, according to NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, required months of diligent investigation from the agency’s investigators.

She said, “Our investigators consistently accomplish the impossible, and this investigation does not.” With miles of wiring and thousands of electrical connections, the Dali, which is almost 1, 000 feet, is as long as the Eiffel Tower. It was similar to looking for a loose rivet on the Eiffel Tower to find this single wire.

According to the NTSB, the Dali’s crew attempted and failed to steer the ship away from the bridge but was unable to do so due to electrical issues, according to the investigation.

The Maryland Transportation Authority halted traffic from crossing the nearly 4km (2.5 miles long) bridge after the ship’s pilots alerted local authorities to the issues.

Six people died in the accident, according to the NTSB, and seven workers were already working on the bridge at the time.