New Insights from VDR Transcripts Uncover Critical Oversights Leading to Dali's Tragic Collision with Baltimore Bridge

By gCaptain Staff – A recent publication by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provides a harrowing, detailed account of events leading up to the tragic disaster involving the dali containership on March 26, 2024. This incident resulted in the collapse of baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, claiming six lives and disrupting a crucial route for the Port of Baltimore. The transcripts from the vessel’s voyage Data Recorder (VDR) cover critical moments from March 25 through to the collision and its immediate aftermath, revealing a series of escalating technical issues that were largely overlooked during pre-departure discussions.

Alarming Signs Before Departure

starting at 2:20 PM EDT on March 25, alarms began sounding on the bridge—many linked to power management systems. The noise was so overwhelming that communication over UHF radio became nearly unfeasible. Between 2:35 PM and 2:57 PM,alarms continued blaring without any recorded dialog from crew members. By around 3:30 PM,despite these alarming signals,the Chief Officer assured the Master that everything was “nominal,” without providing further details. The crew claimed all alarms had been reset by shortly after.

Later in the day at approximately 5:49 PM, an critically important call was made by the Master to his Chief Engineer—conducted in Tamil—to prepare an incident report concerning issues in the engine room. This request hinted at serious concerns but left many specifics unclear as no additional references appeared on record.Casual Preparations for Departure

As midnight approached, preparations for departure commenced with pilots boarding around midnight and conducting standard checks like draft verification and tug arrangements. At precisely 12:16 AM, when asked if everything was functioning properly by one pilot, the Master confidently replied affirmatively despite earlier alarm incidents—a reassurance that seemed misplaced given what had transpired hours before.

Conversations among crew members remained surprisingly lighthearted as they prepared to set sail; one pilot even remarked how straightforward this voyage would be thanks to modern navigation tools designed for larger vessels.

A Sudden Crisis

However, things took a turn for worse just after 1 AM when communication with engine room personnel failed completely. By about 1:28 AM came alarming news—the bow thruster was non-operational—marking one of two total blackouts noted in preliminary NTSB reports released later.

Just shy of reaching Key Bridge at over six knots speed due to loss of electrical power affecting propulsion and steering systems led directly into chaos; within moments after losing control at approximately 1:26 AM—the pilot urgently requested closure of traffic across Key Bridge due to lost steering capabilities.

Tragically striking pier number seventeen just minutes later caused significant structural damage resulting in multiple spans collapsing while six construction workers were still present on-site—a devastating outcome no one could have anticipated amidst their routine operations.

Aftermath and Confusion

In those frantic minutes post-collision captured via recordings onboard revealed utter confusion as alarms continued blaring while Coast Guard officials sought clarity regarding their position; it became painfully clear when confirming “the bridge is down.” Discussions among crew members reflected growing concern about potential casualties alongside damage sustained aboard Dali itself—with water flooding into compartments yet thankfully no visible oil sheen reported outside indicating environmental hazards following impact.

The final alarm ceased ringing around two-thirty AM leaving behind questions surrounding missed warnings prior leading up this catastrophe which has now become etched into maritime history as one America’s most tragic accidents ever witnessed at sea level!

While investigations are ongoing regarding these findings combined with previous NTSB insights suggest troubling patterns emerged throughout this ordeal—from human errors causing earlier blackouts right before departure through failure disclose known issues during master/pilot exchanges raising doubts about whether proper precautions were taken seriously enough beforehand!

For those interested further details can be found online including full VDR transcripts along with preliminary reports issued by NTSB themselves!