NTSB Probes Deadly Collision Between Mexican Tall Ship and Brooklyn Bridge

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is looking into a tragic incident involving the Mexican Navy’s training ship, cuauhtémoc, which collided with the Brooklyn Bridge, leading to two lives lost. This 297-foot vessel was carrying 277 individuals when it left South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 on Saturday evening, May 17.

initial reports from the NTSB indicate that as the ship moved backward, its speed surged from 2 to 6 knots. The collision happened around 8:24 p.m., just five minutes after departing with tugboat assistance. The Cuauhtémoc managed to halt its movement three minutes later upstream of the bridge.At that time,weather conditions included a west wind blowing at about 10 knots and a minimal flood current of only 0.3 knots.The incident caused damage to all three masts of the vessel. Brian Young,who leads the inquiry for NTSB,mentioned that their focus will include examining nautical operations and marine engineering aspects alongside bridge engineering and survival factors related to this event. They are also reviewing protocols for tugboat assistance.

Currently collaborating with Mexican authorities for access to the ship has delayed interviews with key personnel like the captain and pilot until now. In response to this accident, U.S. Coast Guard has set up a safety zone between Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge while assessing damages.

As it stands now,Cuauhtémoc is docked at Pier 36 on East River within a designated safety perimeter as officials evaluate what needs fixing or salvaging next; fortunately,there’s been no major structural harm reported on Brooklyn Bridge itself.

mcallister Towing operated one of the assisting tugs during this operation (the Charles D McAllister) and shared their perspective through gCaptain: “Our crew helped guide Cuauhtémoc out of Pier 17 towards anchorage were it was suppose to refuel,” they stated post-collision while emphasizing their commitment in cooperating fully with ongoing investigations.

This inquiry involves both U.S. and Mexican agencies working together closely; an initial report from NTSB is anticipated within about a month’s time frame.Stay updated by subscribing for daily maritime insights—join our community of over 109k members!