US officials recover data recorder from ship that hit Baltimore bridge, divers search for bodies

The 289m ship had reported a loss of propulsion shortly before impact and dropped anchor to slow the vessel, giving transportation authorities time to halt traffic on the bridge before the crash. That move likely prevented a higher death toll, authorities said.

It was unclear whether authorities also tried to alert the work crew ahead of the impact.

Collection of data from the ship will provide investigators with a timeline of what happened as soon as Wednesday, the NTSB’s Homendy told reporters as she prepared to board the vessel.

The process will involve taking photos of the ship and the bridge, getting electronic logs and also interviewing first responders. The agency will also examine whether contaminated fuel played a role in the ship’s power loss, she said.

SHIP’S SAFETY RECORD

The Baltimore wreck drew attention to the vessel’s safety record. The ship was involved in an incident in the port of Antwerp, Belgium, in 2016, hitting a quay as it tried to exit the North Sea container terminal.

An inspection in 2023 carried out in Chile found “propulsion and auxiliary machinery” deficiencies, according to data on the Equasis public website, which provides information on ships.

But Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said in a statement that the vessel passed two separate foreign-port inspections in June and September 2023. It said a faulty fuel pressure gauge was rectified before the vessel departed the port following its June 2023 inspection.

Video footage on social media showed the vessel slamming into the 47-year-old Key Bridge in darkness, the headlights of vehicles visible on the span as it crashed into the water and the ship caught fire.