15 May 2024 (Lloyd's List) - DALI suffered several power outages in the hours before its catastrophic allision with the Francis Key Scott Bridge in Baltimore, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the US agency investigating the incident.
The 9,900 teu containership lost power twice on March 25 while it was moored at the port of Baltimore, with the first blackout occurring about ten hours before it left the docks, according to the report, which was released on Tuesday.
The first blackout at the port occurred when a crew member mistakenly closed an inline exhaust damper, which ultimately caused the engine to stall, the report said. The second one occurred due to insufficient fuel pressure.
As they recovered from the second blackout, the crew reconfigured the electrical system to use two breakers known as HR 1 and LR 1, according to the NTSB.
At about 0125 hrs on March 26 when Dali (IMO: 9697428) was less than a kilometer away from the bridge, two electrical breakers - HR 1 and LR 1- unexpectedly tripped, causing another blackout. The crew was able to restore electrical power to the ship, the report said, but a second blackout occurred at about 0127 when the vessel was about 320 metres from the bridge. The allision occurred just under three minutes after.
The NTSB said it is still investigating the electrical configuration following the first in-port blackout and "potential impacts on the events during the accident voyage".
The agency's preliminary findings regarding the in-port blackouts appear to support claims made by a port worker that the ship suffered from "severe" electrical problems during its time at the port. The port worker told CNN affiliate ITV about the alleged problems on March 27, but retracted their comments the following day, saying they can no longer stand by them.
Meanwhile, the preliminary findings appear to have ruled out the involvement of contaminated fuels. Two independent labs that tested LSMGO samples from the Dali's fuel tanks found they complied with international standards and regulations, the report said.
The NTSB stressed that its findings were preliminary and subject to change.
